Winemaker Notes
Aromas and flavors of violets, marionberry, and abundant fresh plum aromas. Medium to full body, silky smooth texture. Tannins are supple.
Pair with beet salad with goat cheese, fried eggplant, or roasted chicken with cardamon cumin basmati rice.
Blend: 93% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
An explosion of ripe dark cherries settles atop a creamy base with flavors of German chocolate cake. White pepper plays into the wine's elegant profile, unveiling notes of cinnamon toast and roast coffee.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Merlot Alexander Valley pours a dark inky red color and is ripe on the nose but a bit shy to open initially, gradually unraveling to notes of graphite, black plum, olive, and forest earth. The palate is structured and rich and has a heartier feel, with more rich tannins coming through the midpalate and finish, and it has a freshness of acidity that keeps it from feeling dense.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Nearly a northern extension of Napa Valley, Alexander Valley starts just north of the small, Knights Valley, and is just a few minutes drive from the Napa town of Calistoga. It is Sonoma County’s hottest AVA. But the Russian River, which runs through the valley, creates cooler pockets and its soft, alluvial soil is ideal for grape growing, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, some believe that Alexander Valley Cabernets truly rival the best from Napa Valley and many of the heavy-hitter producers have largely invested here.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up over 50% of plantings, Merlot and old vine Zinfandel thrive here. Ample, fleshy Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate white wine production. Some old-vine plantings of Grenache have also been discovered and more recent experiments with Sangiovese and Barbera show great promise.