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Wine Details
Price:
$12.00 per bottle
Description:
You may not realize that winemakers in the US are not permitted to use a varietal name such as Cabernet on a bottle unless it contains at least 75% of that wine. Designed to protect the consumer, it also imposes limitation on our choices. (Meanwhile, the French, for example, are free to blend up to several different grapes in any amount for red Bordeaux.) To overcome this creative constraint, I produced a blend containing 73% Cabernet and 27% Merlot. I felt that the 2001 wine benefited from a larger component of Cabernet, but we will have the freedom in the future to make free-wheeling choices on the respective percentages used. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are two classic reds used in Bordeaux and each brings its own strengths to the blend, building a whole superior to the sum of its parts. Merlot contributes fresh blackberry fruit and Cabernet brings density and richness. The blend spent about ten months in oak. This wine is new to our portfolio and has already won gold medals in all three of the competitions in which it was entered!
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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.
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Cabernet Sauvignon:
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted and significant among the five dominant varieties in France’s Bordeaux region, as well as the most successful red wine produced in California. Though it was thought to be an ancient variety, recent genetic studies at U.C. Davis have determined that Cabernet Sauvignon is actually the hybrid offspring of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon berries are small with black, thick and very tough skin. This toughness makes the grapes fairly resistant to disease and spoilage and able to withstand some autumn rains with little or no damage. It is a mid to late season ripener. These growth characteristics, along with its flavor appeal have made Cabernet Sauvignon one of the most popular red wine varieties worldwide.
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