Mt. Brave Mt. Veeder Merlot 2018 14.5% 750ml

Mt. Brave Mt. Veeder Merlot 2018 14.5% 750ml

PALATE
Lush and rich, but vivaciously youthful, it is a graceful enigma. Notes of dark cherries, cedar, toasted oak, and a long finish highlight this beauty.

MATURATION
22 months in French oak (80% new)

VINIFICATION
We hand-harvested grapes during cool morning hours as the fog blanketed the valley below. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and then underwent native malolactic fermentation in barrels to round acidity and softly integrate the vanillin character of French oak (80% new). After barrel aging for 22 months, the wine was bottled without fining or filtration.

VINTAGE NOTES
The 2018 growing season started with late winter rains then a spring marked with intermittent cloudy skies likely delayed bud-break and flowering, which was then followed by ideal fruit set conditions, driving up overall volumes by 20 – 30%. Steady summer heat accumulation with only a couple of short hike spikes combined with a near-perfect fall season created great phenolic accumulation without high sugar concentration.

Country: United States
Region: Napa Valley
Vintage: 2018
Variety: Merlot
alcohol volume: 14.5
closure: Cork
volume: 750
wine style:Red (Full Bodied)