Merlot
Estate Bottled | Red Mountain
- Vineyards: 91% Kiona Estate, 4% Ciel du Cheval (Sourced), 3% Heart of the Hill, 1% Ranch at the End of the Road, 1% Sunset Bench
- Composition: 92% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec
The Kiona Estate vineyard is the oldest on Red Mountain. We have 4 distinct blocks of Merlot here; the first was planted in 1976, the youngest in 1995. All four feature in this release. Recently we’ve seen a dramatic increase in demand for Red Mountain Merlot, owing in part to the quality of these more established blocks and the elegant, layered wines they produce.
Merlot from Red Mountain is special; here it's a powerful yet elegant grape, capable of producing wines of profound depth and density of character. Our oak regimen emphasizes geographical specifity and variety purity - neutral barrels outnumber new. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Malbec components provide layering, depth, and additional complexity.