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Date Printed: 11/25/2009
Raphael Merlot 2005
Raphael Merlot 2005

 (search item no. 95738)

PRICE ON 11/25/2009: $15.29

Winemaker's Notes:

 The 2005 vintage was the driest growing season on Eastern Long Island in almost 60 years. Rainfall from May through October 1 totaled approximately 7 inches – the average for the region during this same period is approx. 15-19 inches. The dry conditions combined with steady, warm temperatures provided us with extremely ripe and concentrated fruit and a harvest season that began 2 weeks earlier than normal. Late season rains did little to affect fruit composition. We believe the 2005 vintage will be recognized as one of Long Island’s finest – clearly the best wines we have made since 2001.

The 2005 Estate Merlot is our biggest and best yet. Dark black fruit and jammy with nuances of blackberries, cassis, tobacco and eucalyptus, this wine outclasses most wines in its price category. The Merlot is on its own in this wine, providing full ripe tannins and dense mouth feel reflecting the extreme ripeness levels of the 2005 vintage.

My Notes:

About Raphael:

 Established in 1996, Raphael is Long Island’s premier vineyard and winery estate. Located on the North Fork of Long Island, in the hamlet of Peconic, the winery is dedicated primarily to the production of Merlot. The wines reflect both the Long Island terroir (soil and microclimate) and the spirit of a great Bordeaux chateau, with its attention to detail and devotion to quality in every aspect of grape growing and wine making.

Raphael was born from the vision of John Petrocelli, after whose father the winery is named. In Raphael, the Petrocelli Family is striving for the production of Long Island’s greatest wine, incorporating both New World advances and Old World traditions. The result is a wine with an incomparable personality, resulting from the ideal marriage of soil and climate found on the North Fork of Long Island, and is also reflected in the elegant, Mediterranean-styled winery, a picture of which adorns its label.