Nose
Fragrant ripe black cherry, red plum and blackberry aromas, complemented by whiffs of black tea, oak and chocolate, introduce this bold, beautifully structured merlot.
Palate
Rich and plump on the palate with lush cherry, plum and red currant flavors framed by firm, yet fine-grained tannins, it culminates in a long finish accented by zesty tea-leaf spice tones.
Growing Conditions
In 2013, a warm, dry spring initiated early budbreak, ensured trouble-free vine flowering and grape set, and led to a consistently mild summer fostering steady, even ripening and grapes with wonderful flavor concentration. Our hand-harvested merlot grapes were picked between September 4th and October 4th with an optimum balance of sugar and acidity
Winemaking
In 2013, we fermented our various vineyard lots of merlot in a mix of small closed and open-top stainless steel tanks, pumping the fermenting juice over the ‘cap’ of skins and other solids that form at the top of the tank in order to fully extract color, flavor and tannin from the skins. Once fermentation completed, we transferred the new wines to carefully selected French oak barrels, 36% new, where they aged for six months before being blended. The blended wine then spent an additional nine months in barrel, just long enough to impart further complexity to the wine, prior to bottling in April, 2015.
Aging
15 months in French oak barrels, 36% new
