Los Carneros Merlot - 2018
Laura's latest offering pays homage to the classic Bordeaux-style wines of California's past, from the 1960s through the mid-1980s. This vineyard-designated Merlot embodies the elegance and nuance that defined that era, showcasing the grape's truest form. The grapes for this wine are sourced from a west-facing hillside vineyard, where the vines range in age from 20 to 25 years old. The Carneros gumbo soils, a unique blend of clay, sandy loam, and other components, provide the perfect foundation for the vines to thrive organically. Fermentation takes place in 1.5-ton vats, with a slow, cool process that allows the delicate aromatics of the Merlot grape to shine. After fermentation, the wine remains on the skins for an additional two weeks, resulting in softer, more integrated tannins that are often lost when using new French oak barrels. The wine is aged for 18 months in a combination of neutral and twice-used Demptos medium toast barrels. This approach imparts a baking spice aromatic profile, without overpowering the wine's inherent elegance and nuance. The end result is a Merlot that pays homage to the old-school California style, capturing the essence of the grape in its truest form. This wine is a true celebration of the Merlot varietal, inviting you to savor its timeless charm and complexity.
