Nose
Herbal, tea-like aromas.
Palate
The palate is bursting with classic red fruit flavors, cocoa powder and a hint of black olive. The flavors integrate seamlessly on the palate leading to an herbal finish, all wrapped up in a nice acidity.
Growing Conditions
Sonoma County has a long history of producing lush and structured Merlot. Our 2015 Merlot features fruit from great vineyards in the Sonoma Valley such as Weiler, Lyon, Glen Oaks, Marioni, Hoagland, Cherryblock and Mission. For added depth and flavor, a percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma was added to the final blend.
Harvest
2015 was a fantastic vintage producing high quality fruit. It began with an earlier than average bud break and an intense, compacted harvest beginning earlier than average as well. The high temperatures in August and early September accelerated maturity and picking times. We picked all grapes by September through early October 2015. Overall, this was an early and light harvest with smaller berries and concentrated flavors that produced exceptional quality fruit.
Bottling
Bottling Date March 2017.
Winemaking
After a three-day cold soak, we crushed and fermented the fruit at relatively warm temperatures—for maximum extraction— in stainless steel tanks for 10-15 days. Early blending helped integrate and balance the wine’s aromatics and flavors. Nine months of maturation in a combination of Canton-American oak barrels brought additional structure and complexity to this Merlot.
Aging
9 months in new and one-year-old Canton-American oak barrels.
Appearance
It is a dark garnet red color.
Food Pairing
Pair this Merlot with roasted lamb over a bed of wild rice.
