Geyser Peak Winery Merlot 2008

The bright fruit flavors and supple tannins of this wine reflect its Alexander Valley origin. True to its reputation this is a soft and fruity wine likeable for its soft tannins, pleasing cherry fruit and notes of mocha and plum in the bouquet. The round and polished mouthfeel sings with varietal raspberry and smoky oak making it a versatile food wine.

Traditional red Bordeaux varieties like Merlot do particularly well in this region, due to the warm daytime temperatures and cool, fog-covered nights and mornings. Following a three-day cold soak to extract the more subtle characteristics of this varietal, grapes were fermented in a combination of rotary and traditional upright fermenters under moderate temperatures for a relatively short six-day period. Restrained use of new oak cooperage allowed the wine's fruit-forward, quintessentially Alexander Valley character to shine through.