Nose
This gorgeous Merlot leads with aromas of candied violet, red plum and ripe fig.
Palate
A
beautiful freshness accompanies mouthwatering flavors of dark red cherry and raspberry, layers of deep blue fruits and
sophisticated notes of savory grilled herbs. Ultra-plush and velvety with rich dark chocolate, espresso and earthy
riverstone emerging throughout the luxurious finish. Best from 2017 through 2025, approaching a plateau in 2030. Enjoy upon release with at least 90 minutes of decanting.
With proper cellaring, this Merlot will continue to evolve, revealing ever more expressive aromatics and an increasingly
seamless, complex finish.
Growing Conditions
The 2012 growing season began relatively dry, continuing with a warm spring and perfect weather for fruit set. The
vines produced a record amount of high-quality small-berry clusters, enabling us to nurture the crop with great
precision. In all, we kept just half the initial yield to ensure optimal ripeness. The berries developed exceptionally rich
flavor, color and density, most notably in the Merlot.
Vineyards: Pahlmeyer Estate Vineyard, Stagecoach, Las Amigas Vineyard
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Bottling
The wine was bottled unfined and minimally filtered on May 5, 2014.
Winemaking
The grape clusters were hand-sorted, de-stemmed, and individual berries selected by our winemaking team. After three to nine days of a gentle cold soak in small open-top fermenters, the fruit began 100% native yeast fermentation. After two weeks, the
fruit was gently pressed and the juice was moved to barrel where it finished primary and malolactic fermentation, also native.
Aging
The wine continued to age in 75% new, super fine-grained, medium-plus and heavy toasted French oak Bordeaux export barrels for
eighteen months.
Appearance
Indigo at the core with garnet edges.
