The Vineyards
Located in the northern reaches of the Alexander Valley , the Lyon Vineyard, owned by winemaker Mark Lyon, forms the core of this wine, supplying the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec. The rich soil is a blend of well drained, gravel and sandy loam soils, which controls vigor, water, and nutrient uptake. This vineyard site produces expressive, elegant and intense red wines. The base of the Alexander Valley Merlot is from both the Old Vine Block (planted in 1973) and Clone #3, (planted in 1995). The Cabernet Sauvignon is from both the Lyon Vineyard and the Oliver Vineyard, which is located in Geyserville. The Petite Verdot is sourced from the Rancho Miguel vineyard, nearby Jimtown, for bright, ripe fruit notes. A very small amount of Merlot was from the A. Cuneo Vineyard, located in Carneros was blended in to add a cooler climate flavor profile to the blend.
The Vintage A cooler-than average early Spring led to a delayed budbreak in 2006. However, a mild, May weather allowed for good fruit set and balanced crop load. Summer weather was mild with average temperatures, with the exception of a heat wave in late July. Still, the degree days were lower than normal, delaying veraison until late July. Merlot loves a cool Fall, which it got with an Indian Summer the 2 nd week of October, setting the stage for full ripeness and flavor development. We harvested from October 15 to November 3rd.
Winemaking
We noticed that both the tannin and skin pectin content were high. So, we cold soaked our Bordeaux lots with color enzymes (to break down skin pectin) and a prolonged, 3 to 4 day cold soak. The fermentation went quickly to warm early on, thanks to our new, temperature controlled fermenter thermostats. We then pressed with higher brix levels than in the past and only used free run to again to prevent extracting too much tannins. Therefore, on average only 4 to 6 days of brisk fermentation before pressing. We primarily focused on both the Old Vines and Clone #3 and quickly put those into both new and 1 year old Tonnellerie Saury Chateau French Oak barrels (our core cooper for this program). The Cabernet, Petite Verdot and Malbec also had the same fermentation treatment to minimize tannin extraction. The first assemblage, 70% of the blend happened in early April, with the near final blend completed in August 2007. It was bottled in January, 2008 with 9.5 months of barrel aging in order to trap its delicious, wild berry fruit and enhance aging potential.
Winemaker's Notes This Merlot is dark crimson in color with ruby tints. The aromas display more black tea and black cherry, with little herbaceousness . Using 40% New Saury French Oak lends notes of espresso, dark chocolate and cinnamon. The long, even ripening developed Merlot flavors more akin to it’s native home of Pomerol with deep, earthy flavors coupled with black cherry fruit, common with California Merlots. Although more structured than past Merlots, it’s still drinkable thanks to the terroir of Alexander Valley, which showcases more exuberant berry fruits, almost like Zinfandel , yet having elegant, refined tannins. Because it is structured, it is recommended for further aging of 1 to 2 more years.
Mark R. Lyon, Winemaker
Technical
Data
Appellation:
Alexander Valley
Composition:
75.7% Merlot; 6.6% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5.7% Malbec; 12% Petite Verdot
Cooperage:
9.5 months in both new and used French oak
Alcohol:
14.5%
TA:
0.50 g/100ml
pH:
3.68
Bottling Date:
February 2008
Release Date:
August 2007
Past Vintages:
Awards and Acclaim:
2005 Vintage
90 Points from Wine Enthusiast : "Here's a polished young Merlot that's sophisticated enough to accompany a fine meal, yet doesn't selfishly demand all the attention to itself. It's very dry, smoothly tannic and crisp, with herb-infused blackberry and cherry flavors. Will Take some age, and should be terrific with roast pork."
88 Points from Wine Spectator: California's Best Values 2008
88 Points and ONE PUFF from The Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine: "Showing a strong theme of sweet cherries and lots of rich, caramelly oak from its aromas to its flavors and finish, this balanced and carefully polished Merlot continues the string of recent Sebastiani successes. It is light on tannin yet still shows some spine, and its accessible, wide-open style makes it easy to recommend for drinking soon.."
2004 Vintage
90 Points and Smart Buy from Wine Spectator : "Racy black raspberry and espresso aromas and ripe black cherry, walnut and spice flavors build towards zesty tannins and a showy finish."
Four and a Half Stars from The Santa Rosa Press Democrat: "A complex merlot with deep, rich flavors. Spicy, with berry, cherry flavors. Nice mouth-feel. Has tannins but handles them well. Balanced. Medium-bodied."
2003 Vintage
88 Points and Top Value from The Wine Spectator : "This flashy Merlot is both rich and gutsy yet well-balanced, offering a mix of red currant, blackberry, hazelnut and vanilla. The wood and tannins dominate the finish, but this young wine is delightful to drink and should get even better in the next year. Drink now through 2009"
2001 Vintage
92 Points and Editor's Choice--Ranked #42 in Top 100 Wines of 2004 from Wine Enthusiast : "A wine that excites, not only for its deliciously gooey flavors, but for the restraint and subtlety of its structure. Those flavors are rich and extracted, ranging from blackcurrants, fine coffee and the ripest black cherries to the sweet vanillins and toast contributed by oak. The tannins are a wonder, sweet and lush, and the finish grows even sweeter."
91 Points and Two Puffs--Good Value and Best Buys from Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine: "Extravagant oak pretty well steals the scene here, but the wine's far-reaching sweep of caramel and cream comes with enough optimally ripened fruit to make this one a deep and entirely succulent package. While a note of finishing astringency points the way to a better wine with a bit of age, there is more than enough mass and fruity flesh to hold it in good stead when paired up in the near-term with succulent roasts of beef or lamb."
