Nose

Color: brilliant deep ruby red
Smell: The primary fruit aromas of blackberry and cranberry combine with the herbal aromas of mint and eucalyptus and a hint of black pepper to create a many-faceted bouquet.
Taste: With its sturdy tannin structure and rich fruit aromas, the Merlot can develop to the full on the palate to display great complexity with depth and length.

Growing Conditions

The year began with a dry mild winter, and the first heavy rains did not fall until March. Somewhat early but uniform budding of the vines set in at the beginning of April. May was warm and mostly very sunny, and the young shoots developed particularly well, with the first signs of flowering visible on the earliest sites by the middle of the month. A cold spell at the beginning of June and several days of rain significantly slowed shoot development and also delayed flowering on the late sites. The following months of July and August brought a good balance of precipitation and pleasant temperatures, with nighttime temperatures always remaining on the cool side.

On the early sites harvesting began in good weather on August 26. Towards the end of the month, however, the harvest was interrupted by heavy rainfall, and unstable weather at the beginning of September was a major challenge for many winegrowers.

Harvest

In some cases, it was necessary to bring in the harvest in two phases so as to ensure that only the fully ripe grapes were picked and the required grape maturity and quality could be achieved.

Winemaking

Manual harvest and selection of the grapes; destemming followed by slow must fermentation at a controlled temperature and gentle agitation of the must in stainless steel tanks; malolactic fermentation and aging for 12 months partly in big wooden barrels (50%) and partly in barriques using one third new barrels (50%); blending three months before bottling.

Aging

Cool storage at constant temperatures, high level of humidity and as little light as possible
Cellar temperature: 10 - 15 °C
Good ageing potential > 5 years

Food Pairing

Goes well with shoulder of kid braised in olive oil and herbs on asparagus and wild vegetables, beef tagliata on a bed of rocket, rabbit stew or braised leg of lamb with spinach polenta; equally attractive with aubergine alla parmigiana.