Fruit for this wine comes from the original 1981 plantings, the first in the valley. Cherry, spice, baker's chocolate, barrel spice and crushed red berry aromas are out front. Full-bodied, layered, lush fruit and barrel flavors follow, but with more than enough acidity and tannin structure to stand them up and do well with time in the cellar. It shows more oak impression than the winery's other Merlots from this vintage but doesn't suffer for it. It's old vine fruit at its best.
Fruit for this wine comes from the original 1981 plantings, the first in the valley. Cherry, spice, baker's chocolate, barrel spice and crushed red berry aromas are out front. Full-bodied, layered, lush fruit and barrel flavors follow, but with more than enough acidity and tannin structure to stand them up and do well with time in the cellar. It shows more oak impression than the winery's other Merlots from this vintage but doesn't suffer for it. It's old vine fruit at its best.
Fruit for this wine comes from the original 1981 plantings, the first in the valley. Cherry, spice, baker's chocolate, barrel spice and crushed red berry aromas are out front. Full-bodied, layered, lush fruit and barrel flavors follow, but with more than enough acidity and tannin structure to stand them up and do well with time in the cellar. It shows more oak impression than the winery's other Merlots from this vintage but doesn't suffer for it. It's old vine fruit at its best.
Fruit for this wine comes from the original 1981 plantings, the first in the valley. Cherry, spice, baker's chocolate, barrel spice and crushed red berry aromas are out front. Full-bodied, layered, lush fruit and barrel flavors follow, but with more than enough acidity and tannin structure to stand them up and do well with time in the cellar. It shows more oak impression than the winery's other Merlots from this vintage but doesn't suffer for it. It's old vine fruit at its best.