2001 Merlot - library wine

2001 Merlot

Merlot 89%, Cabernet 11%

Some of the greatest wines in the world are Merlot based blends, most notably from the Saint-Emilion and Pomerol districts of Bordeaux, France, where the famous Petrus Blanc (95% Merlot) sells for several hundred dollars per bottle when first released. Our Merlot is made in that style.

What sets us apart from the famous French maker is that we can get our fruit riper in California than they typically can in France. This full vine ripeness, like a strawberry from your garden instead of the supermarket, produces more generous fruit oriented flavors in the wine, a hallmark of the best from California.

With this Merlot we’ve married this California ripe fruit to the structure and balance of the traditional French style Merlot. We’ve updated Petrus so to speak. The result is a Merlot that has good structure and modern balance. It has layered complexity unexpected in a California Merlot. It is a complete wine that commands attention and leaves a lingering impression.

Barrel aged: 30 months
Bottle aged to date: 3 years
Life expectancy: 15 more years
Alcohol: 14%, Residual sugar 0.0%
Bottled 200 cases, May 5, 2004