Queen of Hearts 2006 Merlot

Blackberry, raspberry and ripe cherry aromas accent the deep red color of this wine. Dried plum, black cherry and hints of vanilla combine with smooth, elegant tannins on the palate. This Merlot is a lush, well-balanced wine that is drinkable now, but should age well. It is produced from hand-selected grapes on our Los Alamos Valley estate vineyard. We fermented in open top fermenters, using punch downs, followed by a brief post-fermentation maceration. After pressing, the wine was aged for 16 months in approximately 20% new French oak barrels.