Winemaker Notes
Select lots of grapes were chosen from Ferrari Carano's vineyards in Alexander, Dry Creek, Russian River and Napa/Carneros to create the beautifully balanced and full-bodied 2004 Merlot. A multidimensional, velvety wine with a dark ruby color and complex nose of ripe cherry, blackberry, and exotic notes of licorice and cedar, this year's Merlot is accented by intricately woven flavors of boysenberry, currant fruit and dark chocolate, with caramel lingering on the silky finish. Given proper cellaring, this wine will continue to provide drinking enjoyment to 2013.
The easy drinking qualities of this Merlot make it a great wine to match with many food dishes. It goes extremely well with any red meat course, game or Italian entrees. Sheep's milk cheeses also pair well with this wine.
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.
Grape varieties are carefully selected 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 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.
