Winemaker Notes
This captivating wine combines the fleshy, fine-grained tannins and luxurious ripe red berry flavors that make Merlot so pleasurable with a robust mountain structure. On the palate, flavors of Bing cherry, strawberry and black raspberry mingle with savory undertones and hints of sagebrush, graphite, lily and lilac as it builds to a long, layered finish.
Production
The 2021 vintage on Red Mountain will be famous for its warm growing season and its drought conditions, which combined to produce historically low yields. While budbreak was two weeks ahead of normal thanks to a warm, dry spring, blustery weather during flowering caused some shatter leading to very low yields. A late-June heatwave led to incredible phenolic development, while a second heatwave during veraison spurred the vines towards early ripening. Harvest started early, with ideal weather throughout September and October, and concluded two weeks ahead of schedule without any pressure from frost or rain. Due to the low yields and intense midsummer heat, our 2021 wines are displaying incredible power, ripeness and concentration.