2020 RAW Merlot

A.B.V. 15 %

R.S.    4.7 g/l

T.A.     4.91 g/l

FERMENTATION  Carbonic + Ambient

SERVE 16-18°C

ESTIMATED PEAK  2028-2032

WINEMAKER’S NOTES To give the wine a bit more aroma, colour, and vibrance we added 15% Malbec. We did 20 days of carbonic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. After carbonic we destemmed, then put the skins back in. After 2 weeks we pressed the free run must into 2000L concrete and pressed the remainder for our 2020 Merlot Select into barrels. The RAW Merlot spent an additional 4 months fermenting and 18 months aging in concrete.

SOMMELIER’S NOTES The splash of Malbec is welcome in this blend since Merlot can often derive its sweet aromas from oak. Blueberry, ripe plum, grape jelly and red candy are all fighting for the spotlight on the nose. The palate is dry, the tannins are coating every part of the mouth, and the flavours are long. This is a wine that could spend some time in cellar or decanter. I also recommend around cellar temp to temper the heat from the alcohol, but that will make the tannins a little more noticeable. If you are impatient, steak will be your friend with this wine.(JL Feb ’23)

Spec Sheet -DOWNLOAD PDF-