Palate
The 2018 Walla Walla Valley Merlot is sleek, with all the aromatic exuberance and brilliant red fruit that makes Washington Merlot great. Radiant in the glass with a rich garnet core and ruby red rim, the nose bursts with bing cherry, raspberry, and creme soda and hints of brioche and cocoa from the new puncheon. The palate trends to darker cherry with a hint of pomegranate, and weaves juicy acidity with delicate tannins. The finish is prolonged, subtle, and nuanced, with a lingering tinge of vanilla bean and not a hint of harshness or astringency.
Winemaking
We have increasingly used large format barrels (500L puncheons) as the new oak component on this wine, which results in less overt oak impact due to a lower surface area-to- volume ratio. The puncheons bring the structure and palate weight we desire while still letting the fruit be the star of the aromatic and flavor show.
