Merle-Os
We Think We’ll Just Stay Here And Drink Them
You probably don’t know this. A lot of people probably don’t. We do, but then again, we’re kind of experts in this area, so you don’t have to feel insecure about it. Anyway, it turns out that Merlot, the wine, is not named after Merle Haggard.
We can see why you’d think that. We used to think it too, a long time ago, this morning, before we looked it up on Wikipedia. But, like we said, we’re experts, so we’re expected to do that kind of research when necessary. So don’t be embarrassed. We were surprised too, when we first found out.
But no, while the territory that now makes up the Sonoma Mountain Feingold Ranch may one day have actually been “outlaw country,” their organically-grown Merlot grapes don’t actually have anything to do with the Hag.
It shouldn’t matter, since these ‘05 and ‘06 Benziger Merlots, made from Feingold grapes, have other virtues to recommend them. They’re delicious, for one thing—medium bodied with layers of currant, and tea, and smoky oak. (It really says that in the tasting notes, “smoky oak.” Which proves there’s no relationship to Merle Haggard, because if there was, it would say “Oaky, somewhat smokey.”)
Plus, they’re priced just barely above actual stealing. Reason being, Benziger has decided to retire this particular single-vineyard Merlot. So this really is—to quote the title of a great 1982 album—“A Taste of Yesterday’s Wine.”
These vintages, they’ve got depth, they’ve got chalky, well integrated tannins, they’ve got good structure and a low price tag. That’s almost everything a person might want in a Merlot, with the possible exception of some connection to Merle Haggard. And yeah, it would be cool if these wines were somehow related to a Country Music Hall-of-Famer, but they aren’t. So you should just get over that. Even if it is kind of disappointing.
In other news, did you know that alkaline batteries are not named after Detroit Tigers outfielder Al Kaline? It’s true!
2006 MERLOT FEINGOLD VINEYARD SONOMA MOUNTAIN VINEYARD
VINTAGE: The 2006 vintage was truly a year won in the vineyard. A heat spike that lasted a record 10 days in July had growers nervous about sunburn on the ripening grapes. Then came the rains, which sent us rushing to leaf the vines, allowing sunshine and air to reach the clusters. Botrytis was a threat for a time, especially to Chardonnay. But late October saw a change in the weather and a change in our expectations for the vintage. The rains stopped and the climate warmed, giving grapes the time on the vines needed to reach full maturation. Overall, it was a late harvest of excellent quality fruit.
VINIFICATION: Grapes were hand-selected, crushed and then cold-soaked on their skins for five days. From there, the juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks before being moved to French oak barrels for 16 months aging.
WINE: In 2006, our Feingold Merlot has an alluring nose of cherry liquor, plum and caramel. In the mouth there are flavors of blueberry, dark chocolate, all spice and a subtle minerality. The wine has soft tannins, good acidity and a medium finish.
- Blend: Merlot
- Appellation: Sonoma Mountain
- Fruit Source: Feingold Vineyard
- Varietal: Merlot
- Production: 14 barrels
- Harvest Date: Oct. 26, 2006
- Barrels: French Oak 16 months
- Bottle Date: April 9, 2008
- Alcohol: 14.5%
- pH: 3.57
- Total Acidity: .62
2005 MERLOT FEINGOLD VINEYARD SONOMA MOUNTAIN VINEYARD
VINTAGE: What began as a heartbreakingly difficult growing season with a cold, wet spring and periodic rains throughout the summer, would become one of Sonoma’s most surprising standout vintages. As harvest approached, we knew that a single rainy day could cost us the vintage. But instead of rain, we got a miracle: 30-plus days of perfect Indian summer. What’s more, the grapes continued to gain weight late in the year, which slowed and lengthened the ripening process. This bit of serendipity combined with great weather brought our grapes to optimal ripeness. We picked the last grapes on November 11—the latest ever for us in Sonoma. A truly exceptional harvest, 2005 saw both exquisite quality and superb yields.
VINIFICATION: Grapes were hand-selected, crushed and then cold-soaked on their skins for color and flavor concentration. From there, the fruit was fermented in stainless steel tanks before being moved to French oak barrels for aging.
WINE: Our Feingold Merlot is a medium bodied wine with layered flavors of rich currant, tea and smoky oak. While the wine has depth and concentration, the tannins are chalky and well integrated, resulting in good structure.
- Blend: Merlot
- Appellation: Sonoma Mountain
- Fruit Source: Feingold Vineyard
- Varietal: Merlot
- Production: 16 barrels
- Harvest Date: Oct. 19, 2005
- Barrels: French Oak 14 months
- Bottle Date: March 7, 2007
- Alcohol: 14.3
- Total Acidity: .60
Rules and restrictions:
- Wine sold by winery (or a retailer in your state where necessary)
- You must be 21 or older to order
- Whoever receives the package must be 21 or older
- If you're drunk when the package shows up, you will not be allowed to receive it
- Wine cannot be delivered to a P.O. Box
- We highly recommend you use a business address as your shipping address
Thanks to stick-in-the-mud buzzkilling state legislators, wine may only be delivered to the following states:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District Of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
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- Michigan
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- West Virginia
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If your state's not on the list, you're out of luck... for now. Keep up with the ever-changing laws over at ShipCompliantBlog.com, and/or sound the alarms with your state assembly person through FreeTheGrapes.org. Meanwhile, all Federal, state and local laws are complied with in providing this wine.
