Winemaker Notes
Rich and sturdy, deep and dark, our Merlots offer aromas reminiscent of blackberry, currant and sweet clove. Traces of Cabernet Sauvignon are included in the blend to add complexity and complete the tannin spectrum.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Sleek and elegant, the wine is blessed with fine tannins and supple texture, and its blackberry, plum, cassis, chocolate and herb flavors flood the palate in a rush that finishes long and luxuriously. Top-notch Merlot.
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Wine Spectator
Impressive. Espresso-style, deeply concentrated Merlot, boasting a core of rich currant, coffee, black cherry and anise. Firms up on the finish, where a touch of bay leaf adds complexity to the flavor profile.
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.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.