BLUE BOOK TASTE PROFILE

Appellation: Livermore Valley
Varietal: Merlot


TASTE BENCHMARKS
  Profile #1
Elegant Style
Profile #2
Hangtime Style
Appearance Medium-dark garnet. Medium-dark garnet.
Aroma Sage honey, passion fruit, cardamom, cigar ash, violets. Cocoa, orange, chocolate, tobacco, sage, cedar, cassis, marmite, leather.
Flavor Firm tannins, even a bit parching, coupled with lean, racy cranberry flavors, and there are violets in finish. Dense, hard tannins, bright plum and lemon, cocoa and pecorino in the finish.
Balance Complex, seductive wines. Assertive alcohol.
PRODUCTION CORRELATIONS
Viticultural Cover crop. Extended maturity.
Terroir Sheltered, rocky, well-drained hillsides.