{"product_id":"abeja-merlot-columbia-valley-2011","title":"Abeja Merlot Columbia Valley 2011","description":"\u003cp\u003e\r\n\t\u003cspan style=\"font-size:14px;\"\u003eAbeja Merlot Columbia Valley 2011 is made from \u003cfont face=\"AGaramond-Regular\"\u003e100% Merlot\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\tAged for 16 months in 95% French, medium toast; 5% Hungarian, 50% new, 50% one year old\u003cfont face=\"AGaramond-Regular\"\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\tThe 2010 vintage has been much talked about because of its substantially cooler than average cumulation of heat units. I feel Merlot, which reaches flavor maturity a bit quicker than the other Bordeaux varieties, really shines in cooler years. We looked forward to the challenge of a vintage that was much more like the vintages of the early ‘90s, when we first started working with the great fruit of Washington State, and 2010 delivered. We also welcomed the achievement of flavor maturity at lower sugar levels. This is the first of at least two vintages in a row that will show amazing structure with lower than the normal alcohol levels.\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\t\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\tWe worked very hard with the outstanding vineyard crew at Sagemoor’s Bacchus and Dionysus, to manage the crop very carefully by opening the canopies and dropping clusters that were not exposed to the sun, or weren’t at the same maturity level. In the winery, we had the luxury to extend the maceration after dryness, which softened the tannins giving this wine a beautiful, fine, silky texture. We then aged it in barrel a bit longer than is usual for our Merlot, but it really benefited from the added time to mature.\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\t\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\tThis one-hundred-percent Merlot has really nice, bright red fruit, rose petals, and a richness on the nose. Flavors of plum, mountain strawberry and mocha come together with a balanced mouth feel and a long finish. Though it was a cooler vintage, I feel we have still captured the powerfully elegant style for which we are known. \u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\t\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\t\"This is toasty, dense and inviting from the first sniff to the last swallow. It’s an authoritative, tightly woven and complex wine that offers a core of plum and cassis flavors, annotated by streaks of coffee, licorice and iron. The tannins are textural and gripping. Delicious now, this can also be cellared for a decade. — P.G.\"\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\t- \u003cspan class=\"style4\"\u003eWine Enthusiast (April 1st 2013)\u003c\/span\u003e, \u003cb\u003e94 pts + Cellar Selection\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Abeja","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44948778680367,"sku":"W0EE818025MRM","price":38.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0741\/4677\/5087\/files\/abeja_merlot_f76ca1f8-9e8f-46c8-9231-1fdaf17cf001.jpg?v=1771483571","url":"https:\/\/timelesswinesdirect.com\/products\/abeja-merlot-columbia-valley-2011","provider":"timelesswines.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}