California - Merryvale Winery

After our second day in class Dave and I visited Merryvale Winery's tasting room.  Since we had dinner reservations and were just coming from tasting wines at Franciscan our time here was limited. We had the opportunity to taste the three wines below. 


Merryvale 2010 Juliana Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is a single vineyard wine, available only at the winery and through Merryvale's wine club.  It is a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillion.  With a tropical aroma it has the grapefruit, lemon flavors you expect from a Sauvignon Blanc, along with a hint of minerality.  A typical California Sauvignon Blanc, this was not as fruit forward as a New Zealand. 

Winemaker's Notes:   Pungent aromas of citrus, lemon-lime, green melon, alyssum flower, orange blossom, honeysuckle, kumquat, orange oil and vanilla bean. The wine is bright and round in the mouth with great minerality and very good length.


Merryvale 2008 Viognier has a very pleasing sweet aroma with a mild flavor of spice.  I thought it was on the drier side.  Dave thought it had a slight sweetness to it.  This is 100% Viognier.

Winemaker's Notes:  Our 2008 Napa Valley Viognier has intense aromas of baked apple pie, lilac, orange blossom and vanilla, with a rich, full mouthfeel, and a spicy finish.  


 
Merryvale Antigua (NV) is a dessert wine and only available at the winery.  It is 100% Muscat fortified with brandy and aged in French oak barrels and tanks for an average of eleven years.  A brandy aroma, and creamy mouthfeel, it is not overly sweet.  Very good.  

Winemaker's Notes:  Golden/amber in color from its long aging in French oak, the wine is a complex combination of nuts and orange-peel aromas. Thick and rich in the mouth, the nuts and orange-peel theme continues from the entry through the long finish, highlighted by the many subtleties from the fine brandy and time in the barrel.   

These wines were all very nice and enjoyable.  Because of this I plan on trying their lower tier Starmont wines.