Nose
ripe, earthy, black cherry, dark plum and blackcurrant aromas
Palate
a palate full of rich plum, pomegranate and dark cherry flavors that take on a spicy tone in the wine’s long, fruitful finish. Boasting vibrant, concentrated flavors, fine tannins and good balancing acidity
Growing Conditions
2010 was a notably cool growing season in California. The year began with substantial rainfall, which pushed back bud break, flowering and grape set by several weeks. After an unusually cool summer, heat spikes in late August kick-started full ripening. Cooler temperatures returned in early September, allowing us to harvest our Merlot grapes over an extended period as the fruit from each vineyard source attained full ripeness.
Winemaking
We harvest, de-stem and crush each lot of our Napa Valley Merlot grapes separately, cold-soaking the must for 48 hours to extract maximum color and supple tannins from the skins. The various lots are fermented in a mix of small closed and open-top stainless steel tanks, and fermentation temperatures are adjusted – based on daily tasting – to maximize the extraction of color, flavor and tannin. We pay special attention to selecting just the right barrels in which to age each lot of our Merlot. The components of our 2010 Merlot spent six months aging in 35% new French Bordeaux barrels prior to blending. The blended wine then spent an additional 12 months in barrel prior to bottling, adding another layer of complexity to its rich, ripe flavors.
Aging
18 months in French oak barrels, 35% new
Food Pairing
An excellent companion to pork, pheasant and veal.
