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Wine Details
Price:
Description:
Big waves of rich, ripe fruit flavors splash over the palate as the introduction to Gnarly Merlot. Dark, lush black cherry character is layered with hints of toasted almond, vanilla and cocoa, which carries into a smooth, intriguing finish.
Gnarly Head Merlot fits right in at a beachside barbecue or a formal fete. Gnarly Merlot pairs as well with pizza or a turkey sandwich and chips as it does with a pork loin, a porterhouse steak, roasted vegetables and wild rice.
Gnarly Head Merlot is crafted using grapes primarily from vineyards in Monterey. The vineyards feature loamy, free-draining soils with trellising that gives the grapes ideal exposure to sunlight. Dry summer weather, combined with cool breezes off Monterey Bay provide the perfect conditions for controlling growth and stress through irrigation—resulting in grapes of intense fruit flavors.
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Varietal Definition
Merlot:
Merlot is known as a Noble Bordeaux varietal. Although it came to France in the first century, it was not named until the 1880s. Merlot was originally used only for blending, as it is soft and compliant, very useful in softening other Bordeaux wines like Cabernets. Recently in California and Chile it became popular as a 100% varietal wine. Merlot tends to be easier to grow in a variety of soil conditions and is harvested earlier in the year than Cabernet. Although most Merlots are made to be drunk earlier, there are many with complexities of a Cabernet. Flavors of plum, black cherry, violet, chocolate and orange pair well with rich, red pasta dishes, hearty chicken dishes, and any beef combination that you fancy. The perfect match of course is chocolate. Not only does the chocolate compliment the wine and vice-versa, but the essence of both flavors linger eternally.
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