BACK
Tasting Notes
Layered and expressive, this elegant and aromatic Merlot entices generous flavors of dark red fruits, plum preserves, pomegranate, and mulling spices balanced by good acidity and soft, polished tannins.
Vintage Notes
A fairly mild growing season with few heat spikes allowed our 2018 harvest to begin right after Labor day, later than previous years. The consistent growing season and cooler temperatures allowed for slow ripening and deep flavor development resulting in exceptional quality fruit with remarkable balance and brightness.
Vineyard Notes
The wine shows off the rich and flavorful fruit grown in Sonoma Valley. This picturesque valley is surrounded by the Sonoma Mountains to the west and the Mayacamas Mountains to the east, providing perfect conditions for Merlot grapes. This area’s warm summer days are cooled by evening breezes and fog from the Pacific Ocean, resulting in fruit with deep, complex flavors and aromas. For this special wine, we source fruit from three vineyards: the Dinner Vineyard high atop Sonoma Mountain and the Murray Vineyard located on the mountain’s eastern-facing benchland for structure, and our Wild Oak Estate Vineyard on the valley floor for softer, flavors and texture.
Winemaker Notes
After hand-sorting, the grapes underwent a two-day cold soak to extract optimal color and flavor. The wine was then aged in 100% French oak barrels, 42% new, where it underwent malolactic fermentation, followed by 20 months of aging.
