Charles & Charles Merlot Blend 2015

    3.2 Good (6)
    Sold Out - was $13.99
    OFFER Take $20 off your order of $100+
    Ships Thu, Apr 4
    You purchased this 6/1/23
    0
    Limit Reached
    You purchased this 6/1/23
    Alert me about new vintages and availability
    Charles & Charles Merlot Blend 2015 Front Bottle Shot
    Charles & Charles Merlot Blend 2015 Front Bottle Shot Charles & Charles Merlot Blend 2015 Front Label

    Product Details


    Varietal

    Region

    Producer

    Vintage
    2015

    Size
    750ML

    ABV
    14.2%

    Your Rating

    0.0 Not For Me NaN/NaN/N

    Somm Note

    Winemaker Notes

    The 2015 vintage was the warmest year on record in Washington State. Perfect dry hot weather persisted throughout the growing season extending all the way to harvest, with cooler temperatures coming just in time to extend ripening. The heat kept berries and clusters small, which resulted in highly concentrated and dense wines.

    Aromas explode with black cherry, dark chocolate and boysenberry, and then follows up with notes of vanilla, crushed gravel, wet earth and tar. The wine is both forceful and elegant, and finishes long and lush.

    Blend: 76% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc

    Charles & Charles

    Charles & Charles

    View all products
    Charles & Charles, Washington
    Charles & Charles  Winery Image

    A collaboration founded in 2008 between Wine Enthusiast Magazine 2014 Winemaker of the year, Charles Smith (K Vintners, Charles Smith Wines) and Charles Bieler (Three Thieves, Bieler Père et Fils & Gotham Project). We make just five wines together. The Rosé, a Cabernet Sauvignon blend, a Merlot blend, a Chardonnay and a single vineyard Riesling.

    Image for Other Red Blends content section
    View all products

    With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.

    How to Serve Red Wine

    A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.

    How Long Does Red Wine Last?

    Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.

    Image for Columbia Valley Wine Washington content section
    View all products

    A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!

    Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.

    Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.

    YNG403725_2015 Item# 168086

    Internet Explorer is no longer supported.
    Please use a different browser like Edge, Chrome or Firefox to enjoy all that Wine.com has to offer.

    It's easy to make the switch.
    Enjoy better browsing and increased security.

    Yes, Update Now

    Search for ""