Our 2015 Sonoma County Merlot is deep garnet with a ruby edge. The nose is a compelling mixture of blackberry, dark cherry, and raspberry with cocoa, clove, and lifted aromas of bay laurel and vanilla framing the bright fruit. On the palate, bright red fruit, red plum, black cherry, blackberry, and blueberry are framed by light toast and sweet vanilla notes, while spice lends depth and weight. This medium-bodied wine finishes with toasty oak notes and rich, firm cocoa-like tannins.
81% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vineyard Notes
Greatness often shows itself from the very beginning, and that’s true for the Alexander Valley, which first achieved fame for its red wines in the 1860s. Today the Alexander Valley remains focused on reds, in particular Bordeaux varieties such as Merlot. Most of the fruit for this wine, rich with blackberry and plum, comes from the Alexander Valley, including grapes from our Red Fan and Los Amigos estate vineyards. We harvested the remaining fruit from Goldfields and Bed Rock, each offering unique character—from red cherry and light spice to depth, richness, and light licorice spice—culminating in an incredibly balanced wine, layered with ripe fruit flavors.
Production Notes
2015 was a great growing season for both red and white varietals. Minimal spring rain and warm weather at flowering set up an early growing and ripening season. Moderate temperatures of 85–92°F during the day with cool nights and foggy mornings made for a great, slow, and gentle ripening, providing full fruit expression. We harvested the grapes for this 2015 Merlot starting on the morning of September 8 and ending on October 1. The Brix at harvest ranged from 23.4–25.7 degrees.
Food Pairing Notes
We think you’d enjoy pairing our Merlot with a classic Margarita pizza, cedar-smoked squab with cherry compote, or roasted salmon with risotto cake.
Feedback
You must be of legal drinking age in your country to enter this site. Please enter your date of birth below and press "Enter".
A birthdate is required. Please provide your birthdate.
{* #socialRegistrationForm *} {* birthday *}