VINTAGE AND WINEMAKER NOTES:
Opaque depth of red ruby color, our Merlot expresses rich dark fruit aromas composed of dark cherry, boysenberry, Santa Rosa plum, Bay leaf and dried herbs. There is a milk chocolate nuance with integrated spicy oak. Coupled with the rich dark fruit, there is a hint of arugula adding to the complexity. The entry and finish are very smooth with integrated fruit resembling black cherry. The Merlot has a good overall balance of fruit, body, tannin and acidity. The depth of fruit coupled with the richness of flavor, provides a profile that delivers from initial sip, one that continues on the palate for a very long finish.
GROWING SEASON NOTES:
Following 2012, we had another “near perfect vintage.” A warm, dry winter and spring brought early bud break. The dry weather helped lower canopy vigor and created ideal conditions for flowering and fruit set under sunny skies. With one heat spike in late June, early July, the growing temperatures were near ideal for vine growth and ripening. The season as a hole, was a good two weeks early on the average and really quite dry. There were two rain storms in mid-September that didn’t amount to any consequence, as most of the thin skinned varieties came in early.
COMPOSITION:
89.1 % Merlot
6.7% Cabernet Sauvignon
1.8% Petit Verdot
1.2% Cabernet Franc
1.2 Malbec
AGING:
Barrels: French and American
Cooperage: World Cooperage 29.1% new wood
Aged in Barrels: 15.7 months
ALCOHOL: 14.5%
pH: 3.52
TA: 0.63 g/100ml
I tasted two Merlots from Freemark Abbey. The 2013 Merlot Napa, which comes from multiple sources, is their biggest cuvee (89.1% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec aged almost 16 months in oak). A deep ruby color, with notes of mocha, white chocolate, black cherry and dried herbs, the wine is medium-bodied, shows loads of supple, lush fruit, easygoing soft tannin and a round juiciness. Isn’t this exactly what buyers of Merlot are looking for? Drink it over the next 7-8 years. - Robert Parker 88 Points
