2016 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga 1.5L

Winemaking

Merryvale’s 2016 Calistoga Cabernet is sourced from the same two vineyards as previous vintages but this bottling is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon (Amoenos) and 15% Petit Verdot (Kenefick). The grapes were handpicked, double-sorted and allowed to cold soak after arrival at the winery. In the cellar, it was a long and slow extraction for the Amoenos Vineyard that comes from a cool site in order to focus on the elegance and complexity of the fruit from this vineyard. Fermentation temperature was 80°F for 3 weeks. The Kenefick Petit Verdot was fermented at a warmer temperature (88°F) for a shorter time. Both wines underwent malolactic fermentation in barrel and spent 22 months in French oak barrels. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration.

Tasting Notes

Kenefick Vineyard sits on an alluvial fan at the foothill of the Calistoga Palisades. Amoenos sits on a hillside influenced by cool air coming over the ridge from Sonoma County. This is a beautiful wine from the Calistoga AVA with Kenefick providing ripe, spicy characters, and Amoenos contributing floral and red fruit notes. The lengthy finish displays well proportioned tannins that will gain complexity with time.