Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
This easy-drinker is a fine food-pairing wine thanks to its good acid structure, light body weight, ABV of 13.5%, and balanced fruit tones. Aromas of dark cherry and a hint of cocoa introduce a flavor profile marked by firm, dry tannins. Spiced plum and a thread of minerality keep the ball rolling
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Wine Enthusiast
Ample fruit flavors and spicy oak accents give this Full-bodied wine a generous expression. Cloves and cinnamon aromas lead to black cherky, blackberry and moderate tannins on the palate.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Cannonball Merlot is appealing on the palate with a soft touch in the finish. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits up-front aromas and flavors of black fruit and licorice. Enjoy it with a lightly seasoned beef stew in a mix with fresh egg noodles and aromatic basil. (Tasted: June 30, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.