This wine has black amethyst color and a nose of boysenberry, violets, vanilla and an appealing hint of dust. The velvety palate reveals juicy red cherry and raspberry fruit, backed with an earthy kick, gripping structure, and fully integrated oak. Distinctive dark, savory notes from the Petit Verdot highlight the lingering finish.
Composition
93% Merlot
4% Petit Verdot
2% Malbec
1% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vineyards
Critics
97 Points
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, January 2018
Blackberries, blueberries, forest floor and hints of Spanish cedar. Full-bodied and tight with firm and silky tannins and long and beautiful focus. Goes on for minutes. Terrific wine. Drink or hold.
94 Points
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, December 2016
It has a dense purple color...with a beautiful fruited nose of blackberry, plum, chocolate, mocha and espresso. The aromatics are killer and then the wine hits the palate with a medium to full-bodied lushness and an expression that says, “Kiss me!” This is a delicious, front-end loaded, full-bodied Merlot to drink over the next 15 or so years.
Winemaking
- Winemaker:
- Kale Anderson
- Alcohol:
- 14.9%
- Harvested:
- September 5 to October 10, 2013
- Bottled:
- May 5, 2015
- Released:
- March 1, 2017
Grape clusters were gravity-fed onto a vibrating table where two screens sifted out materials other than grapes, and we removed by hand any fruit that did not pass visual inspection. After gentle destemming, individual berries were hand-sorted again to ensure that only the best grapes were delivered to the fermenters. The fruit underwent five days of cold maceration and two to six weeks of primary fermentation before gentle basket press. We aged the wine in 85% new Seguin Moreau Icone and Taransaud French Oak barrels for 20 months.
