Merlot Reserve 2017
$ 32.00Appearing only in superior vintages, the production of this wine is simply a happy dividend. Its production is naturally limited by not being required for blending the Octagon of that year. Cultivated, as are all the varietals destined for Octagon, in carefully selected blocks of our Goodlow Mountain vineyard, this wine is vinified for the greatest durability of shelf life and concentration of varietal expression.
Featured profile
FOOD PAIRINGS
Osso buco con polenta
Gnocchi with ragù bolognese
Duck scaloppine in Marsala
TASTING NOTES
Beautifully concentrated color. Complex aromas of ripe red fruit and subtle roasted elements. Exceptionally supple mouthfeel and very firm but luscious flavors, balanced without jamminess, sustained by natural acidity and well integrated tannins.
Vinification
VINTAGE FACTORS
Cellar life 12 yrs
A single, light frost at the outset of the season inflicted minor crop losses, but thereafter a pattern stabilized of moderate rain, and daytime temperatures never approaching hot ranges. In the crucial last 6 weeks of the growing season, from early September to mid-October, we enjoyed a period of consistent high pressure, with clear blue sky, warm days and cool evenings which ultimately allowed us to harvest at optimal times. A signature of this vintage is that the reds bear a higher than average acidity, extravagant texture, fragrant aromatics – gifts of the cooler season.
Fermentation
8-10 days on the skins in stainless steel
Maceration
8 days
Composition
Merlot 95%, Petit Verdot 5%
Aging
12 months, new and used French oak barriques
Analysis
Alcohol, 13.0%
Residual Sugars, 0.%
Total Acidity, 0.58%