St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Merus with a Private Chauffeur
A Napa Valley Cabernet that began in a two-car garage, now made at a restored ghost winery east of St. Helena, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Erika Gottl and Mark Herold founded Merus in 1998 in a bonded two-car garage in the town of Napa. It was a true garage wine, and it drew international attention from its first vintage. The name is Latin for pure and undiluted, used especially of wine.
Bill Foley bought Merus at the end of 2007 and soon after acquired a historic ranch tucked into a canyon on the east side of the valley. It was one of Napa Valley's ghost wineries, abandoned after Prohibition. The updated winery now has custom equipment and 7,000 square feet of caves for barrel aging.
Merus makes a small amount of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, plus a Chardonnay, from select grower parcels, some as small as six rows. Visits are by reservation only. The Collectors Tasting starts with a tour of the caves, then a library wine beside the current release, and finishes seated in the tasting room with four more vintages.
Tasting Fees
$150 for the Collectors Tasting, a cave tour and seated tasting of six vintages of Merus Cabernet Sauvignon, about 90 minutes.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
424 Crystal Springs Road, St. Helena
AVA
Napa Valley
Visiting
By appointment only; no walk-ins. The Collectors Tasting is prepaid through Tock.
Known For
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, with a small Chardonnay
Founded
1998 (in a Napa garage; St. Helena winery since 2008)
Good to Know
The Collectors Tasting takes parties of 2 to 6. Tasting fees are non-refundable. Allocation members and members of partner Foley wineries pay from $100.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Alila Napa Valley or Harvest Inn.
10:00 · Pickup at Alila Napa Valley or Harvest Inn
Stay close and the tasting starts right away. Alila Napa Valley, a Hyatt resort and spa in downtown St. Helena, is about 8 minutes from Merus, and Harvest Inn, a vineyard-side resort at the south end of town, is about 10 minutes away. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Merus
The Collectors Tasting, about 90 minutes ($150). It begins with a walk through the caves and ends with a seated tasting of six vintages of Merus Cabernet Sauvignon.
12:00 · Ballentine Vineyards
About 8 minutes away. A family winery on Highway 29 north of St. Helena, pouring estate wines from a family with more than 120 years in the valley. The Napa Estate Tasting is $60 and the Napa Valley Cabernet Experience is $90, each about 60 to 90 minutes. Reservations recommended.
1:10 · Lunch at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch
About 8 minutes away. Lunch at Farmstead on Main Street in St. Helena, a farm-to-table restaurant open daily for lunch. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:30 · Honig Vineyard & Winery
About 8 minutes away. A Rutherford family winery known for Sauvignon Blanc, with Fish Friendly Farming and California Sustainable Winegrowing certifications. The Terrace Tasting of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon is $40, for parties up to 8, and dogs are welcome. By reservation.
3:45 · Back to your hotel
Back by 4:00 p.m., six hours after pickup.
Optional: PEJU Winery
Adds about an hour. A family-owned, female-led Rutherford estate surrounded by gardens, welcoming guests since 1983. Walk-ins are welcome when space allows for the Taster's Trio of three wines ($40). Open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
About $250 to $280 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Ballentine Vineyards is open Thursday to Monday. On a Tuesday or Wednesday we swap in another nearby winery.
Every tour is custom. This day is a starting point: your chauffeur will shape it around what matters to you, and we plan multi-day tours for guests who want to see more of wine country.
Your Vehicle & Six-Hour Tour Rates
Up to 6 guests
Elite Luxury SUV
Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade
From $750
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $125 each.
Up to 9 guests
Jet Sprinter or Executive Luxury Van
Captain's chairs and room to spread out
From $1,350
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $225 each.
Larger groups travel in more than one vehicle, and we plan the winery appointments around your group, since many wineries limit groups to 6 to 8 guests. Tasting fees are separate and paid directly to each winery. Every tour starts with six hours; add time by the hour when you book.
Questions
Do I need a reservation at Merus?
Yes. Merus is open by appointment only and does not take walk-ins. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Merus?
$150 per person for the 90-minute Collectors Tasting, with a cave tour and six vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon, as of September 2026.
What is Merus known for?
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, made in small amounts from select grower parcels and aged in the winery's caves. It also makes a Chardonnay.
How did Merus start?
Erika Gottl and Mark Herold founded it in 1998 in a two-car garage in the town of Napa. It moved to its St. Helena ranch, a restored ghost winery, after Bill Foley bought the brand.
Who owns Merus?
Bill Foley, whose Foley family of wineries bought Merus at the end of 2007.
How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?
Reserve a six-hour tour online, even if your plans are still taking shape. Your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Extra hours can be added.
Reserve Your Tour Now, Plan the Details Later
Your plans don't need to be final to book. Reserve your six-hour tour online, and your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Prefer to talk? Call our concierge at 888-291-2328.
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