Merlot Clear Lake 2009

Vineyards

While we are not known as a Bordeaux/Cabernet kind of winery (we tend to make more Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel) our location in Lake County allows us to produce several of these varieties in styles which would make our neighbors to the south a bit jealous. One of these is Merlot. The Stymie vineyard grows merlot, syrah and cab franc. We have been sourcing merlot from this vineyard since day one. Stymie vineyard is on a gravelly bench, which overlooks the Big Valley area of Lake County. The vines grow well but not too well and have a great balance of flavors, structure and tannins.

Winemaking

Our typical winemaking style for red wines is a warm fermentation followed by pressing and racking. The wine then goes to Oak barrels and generally spends 18-20 months in a combination of American and French oak barrels. While most producers of Merlot tend toward the soft and supple wine style, we have opted, because of the quality of the grapes, to make a wine in a rich, generous style.

Tasting Notes

This wine is a mouthful of pleasure: lots of fruit, medium tannins and a long lingering finish. We would recommend some cellar time for this wine if only to allow all of the great aromas and flavors properly meld. We feel that this wine can compete with any Merlot from any growing region anywhere in the world.

Food Pairing

Because we make such a generous wine we recommend serving it with very hearty foods like beef wellington, grilled steaks, or a bowl of beef stew.

Awards

Silver medal, West Coast Wine Competition 2006 vintage.

Gold medal, Best of Class, San Francisco Chronicle Wine competition 2006 vintage.

Silver medal, People’s Choice Awards Lake County 2006 vintage.

Bronze medal, San Francisco International Wine Competition 2006 vintage.