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Merlot

Merlot Wine Details
Price: $16.00 per bottle

Description: 2003 gave a harvest of smaller tonnage with remarkable quality Merlots. After harvest the fruit was hand-sorted and crushed for fermentation into stainless steel tanks. We felt the wine was so superb we almost decided not to blend in any other wine. But the winemakers decided to intensify the fruitiness and add a touch of spice by blending a minute amount of our Cabernet and Syrah, which brought the wine to perfection.

Varietal Definition
Merlot:
Merlot is known as a Noble Bordeaux varietal. Although it came to France in the first century, it was not named until the 1880s. Merlot was originally used only for blending, as it is soft and compliant, very useful in softening other Bordeaux wines like Cabernets. Recently in California and Chile it became popular as a 100% varietal wine. Merlot tends to be easier to grow in a variety of soil conditions and is harvested earlier in the year than Cabernet. Although most Merlots are made to be drunk earlier, there are many with complexities of a Cabernet. Flavors of plum, black cherry, violet, chocolate and orange pair well with rich, red pasta dishes, hearty chicken dishes, and any beef combination that you fancy. The perfect match of course is chocolate. Not only does the chocolate compliment the wine and vice-versa, but the essence of both flavors linger eternally.
Symphony:
The Symphony Grape was developed in California in the 1960's by Dr. Olmo at U.C. Davis. It is a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris. The fragrances and pleasant fruit flavors make it suitable for a white wine.


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