(92 Points) 100% merlot, mostly Clone 3 from low-yielding mountaintop vines. Deep red-ruby. Black cherry, raspberry, flowers, licorice and cardamom on the nose. Very sweet and lush in the middle, with an exotic spice character to the dark fruit and dried herb flavors. Boasts lovely verve and grip--not to mention intensity--for a North Coast merlot. A step up from the Sonoma/Napa merlot in ripeness and structure. Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: May/June 2011 Issue 156
Our Vintner Select Merlot has always been a wine of instant gratification, but the temperate ripening conditions of the 2008 vintage have truly pushed decadence to the max! Mother Nature did our thinning for us with a severe spring frost and heavy shatter during bloom, resulting in just 1.3 tons per acre of fruit from our Lower Mountain Top block. We picked and fermented the grapes nearly vine by vine, as uneven ripening during harvest necessitated multiple vineyard passes to pick each grape at the peak of ripeness. The nose possesses a pungent bouquet of fruit, floral and spice aromas, displaying black cherry, red raspberry, lilac, exotic spice and even a touch of minerality in turn. On the mouth, the wine coats and lingers with a sumptuous viscosity and beautifully ripe tannins.
APPELLATION: Sonoma County
VINTAGE: 2008
HARVEST: September 2008
FERMENTATION: Stainless Steel
COOPERAGE: French Oak
BLEND: 100% Merlot
ALCOHOL: 14.8%
BOTTLING: June 2010
PRODUCTION: 430 cases
RELEASE DATE: January 2011
List Price: $107.00
Sale Price: $89.00
Quantity in Stock: 3
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