2010 Kenwood Vineyards, Merlot Sonoma County

2010 Kenwood Vineyards, Merlot Sonoma County

Product: 17332
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2010 Kenwood Vineyards, Merlot Sonoma County

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Description

Blended from a mix of cooler Sonoma Valley fruit with that of the warmer Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys, this is a well-balanced style of Merlot with blueberry/plum fruit and a touch of cinnamon and clove spice. The 42% Sonoma Valley fruit takes the heat out of this wine, resulting in reasonable acidity and a fresh finish without the overripe character often found in Californian Merlot. It is an easy drinking wine, ideal for midweek suppers.
Catriona Felstead MW. - Berrys' New World Buyer - 15-Aug-2013

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About this WINE

Kenwood Vineyards

Kenwood Vineyards

Kenwood Winery was established in 1970 in Sonoma County, California,when a group of wine enthusiasts from the San Francisco Bay area restored the old Pagani Brothers Winery which had been originally built in 1906. The winery has its own 22-hectare estate but also sources grapes from elsewhere for its blends.

The grapes for this Zinfandel are drawn from Sonoma, Alexander Valley and Dry Creek, all excellent quality areas. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks the wine is aged for up to 19 months in a combination of French and American oak. Zinfandel is now regarded as one of California’s indigenous grape varietals, even if it may trace its origins back to Italy where it has a remarkable resemblance to the Primitivo.

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Merlot

Merlot

The most widely planted grape in Bordeaux and a grape that has been on a relentless expansion drive throughout the world in the last decade. Merlot is adaptable to most soils and is relatively simple to cultivate. It is a vigorous naturally high yielding grape that requires savage pruning - over-cropped Merlot-based wines are dilute and bland. It is also vital to pick at optimum ripeness as Merlot can quickly lose its varietal characteristics if harvested overripe.

In St.Emilion and Pomerol it withstands the moist clay rich soils far better than Cabernet grapes, and at it best produces opulently rich, plummy clarets with succulent fruitcake-like nuances. Le Pin, Pétrus and Clinet are examples of hedonistically rich Merlot wines at their very best. It also plays a key supporting role in filling out the middle palate of the Cabernet-dominated wines of the Médoc and Graves.

Merlot is now grown in virtually all wine growing countries and is particularly successful in California, Chile and Northern Italy.

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