WINEMAKER’S NOTES:
At Franciscan Estate, we love Merlot. It is part of our heritage as a key component of our Magnificat. Our Reserve Merlot came out of a desire to highlight some of the best that our Merlot vineyards can produce. The wine features fruit from Oak Knoll, which lends deep plum and cherry fruit, richness, and density. We blend in Merlot from Carneros for floral notes, velvety texture, and brightness. Each small parcel of vineyard is vinified separately to capture its individual expression, then paired with a barrel specifically selected for that vineyard’s terroir. Throughout the months of aging, we fine tune the blend to its final assemblage. This wine shows intensity with a Merlot sensibility—grace and restraint, balance, and refinement.
A beautiful rich scarlet, with vibrant aromas of dark cherry, plum, and dried fig layered with tobacco, cedar, toasted oak, and vanilla bean. Rich, supple palate with concentrated dark fruit, barrel spice, and velvety tannins. Long and beautifully balanced finish of fig, cherry, and dark chocolate.
