Tasting Notes
Intensity and concentration are unparalleled in the 2017 Merlot. Intensity and concentration are unparalleled with strawberry, black currant, mulberry, and blackberry aromas exploding from the glass. The lifted palate frames intense flavours of blueberry, plum, cocoa, and coffee backed by savoury tobacco leaf, anise, and oregano notes. Exceptional weight and substance combine with powerful yet soft tannins to create a wonderful texture that brings you to an unbelievable, lingering finish.
Winemaker’s Notes
The 2017 vintage was a strange one, with cold and rainy weather into mid-August. The clouds then parted, and the warm sun allowed for the grapes to ripen fully late into the season.
Hand-picked and hand-sorted on November 4th, the grapes were destemmed, crushed, and left to soak on skins for 8 days prior to fermentation. Fermentation was started in small, open-top fermentors. The skins were punched down by hand 2x per day throughout the fermentation process. The wine remained on skins for 5 days after fermentation before being gently pressed. After being transferred to French (80%) & American (20%) oak barrels (50% new, 50% 4-yr. old) to be aged for 20 months, the 2017 Merlot was bottled on September 19, 2019.
