An utterly delightful showing of what Napa Merlot can be when it isn’t drowned in oak. On opening there are aromas of currant, moss and orange rind. The mouth is welcoming and inviting, smooth and juicy. As one taster said, “this is not a hook up wine, it’s a relationship wine.”
The vineyard is dry farmed with organic methods. This wine was fermented with native yeasts and aged in neutral french oak for 22 months. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
2017 Pass Merlot
$29.00
Like all good wine world connections, Ryan found this vineyard through friends. It was at tasting group when he learned that two friends from college were managing this Sonoma vineyard. They got to chatting about the pros and cons of growing Bordeaux varietals in cooler climates like the Carneros region. What happens to varietals like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc in cooler climates is they take longer to ripen, which allows for flavors that are more earthen, more savory, and less punchy. In short, more profound and often more age-worthy. This bottling is an excellent example of that.