John X Merriman 2019

The John X Merriman is a powerful wine that rewards aging. In its youth the wine is worth decanting and expresses cassis, blackcurrant and dark fruits complemented with cigar tobacco and sour cherry notes. As the wine ages and its fine grained tannins soften a softer more savoury palate develops revealing wonderful drinkability and tertiary complexity.

Decomposed granite

VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioned), 2 Node Spur Pruned, minimal drip irrigation

Grapes were hand-picked and crushed and de-stemmed on arriving at the winery. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks with regular pump overs and an extended maceration of up to seven days. After primary fermentation the wine was transferred to oak barriques (35% new French; 65% second- and third-fill) for 20 months’ maturation.