Maggio Family Vineyards Merlot 2011
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Sauvignon
The patriarch of the Maggio family, Angelo Maggio, arrived in Lodi in 1906. The first cuttings were planted in 1928 on the property of their first ranch home in Lodi, which laid the foundation for the long, winding journey that culminates in the production powerhouse that is Oak Ridge Winery.
Originally built in 1934, the winery itself was once a wine-making cooperative. As multigenerational farmers, Angelo, his son Roy, and eventually his grandson Rudy, were active participants, growing grapes to supply to winemakers around the country. When the facility was placed on the market in 2002, it was Roy’s son, Rudy, who saw this as an opportunity to expand on their long history of grape growing by producing quality wines of their very own. His intentions went far beyond a desire to dust off a piece of history; the Maggio family transformed it into a state-of-the-art winery – capable of meeting the quality, style, and volume demands of a growing and evolving marketplace.
Today the fourth most widely planted red variety in the state, Merlot has much to offer. While it bears similarities to Cabernet Sauvignon (its half-sibling), it tends to be lower in both acidity and tannins, giving Merlot wines a mouthfeel that is often perceived as soft, round and plush. These qualities make it an ideal blending partner for Cabernet, the two complementing each other throughout.
Merlot arrived relatively late to the California wine scene. It wasn’t until the 1970’s when producers like Louis Martini, Sterling and Matanzas Creek—influenced by European Merlot blends—began crafting single varietal versions. These trend-setting bottles opened the eyes of others in the California wine scene and spurred increased plantings. From there, the variety’s lush drinkability led to a surge in popularity, then overplanting (some of it on unsuitable sites) and finally a backlash that was turbo-charged by the infamous 2004 film, Sideways. What most viewers didn't realize was that, as much as Miles derided the variety, the prized wine of his collection—a 1961 Château Cheval Blanc—is made from a blend of Merlot with Cabernet Franc.
Fine examples of California Merlot—either as a single varietal wine or as part of a blend—can be found from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, the Central Coast and most regions around the state. Merlot wines offer a ripe, sensual mouthful of plummy fruit, suggestions of mint, herbs and vanilla, all carried along by an approachable structure and often, a great potential for improving with age.