2013 Merlot

“93 points. This wine exhibits plenty of plum, black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, mocha and coffee bean in a lush, delicious and opulently textured style. It is drinking beautifully already and will continue to evolve for another decade or more.” – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

“With its amazing aromatic depth and chiseled focus, this bottling joins 2001, 2007 and 2012 in the pantheon of truly great Paloma Merlots. The nose is a dense perfume of mulberry, blackberry, black currant, blueberry, Asian plum sauce, bitter chocolate-covered dark cherry, espresso bean, licorice root, black truffle, humidor-spice, graphite, charcoal, mace and lavender scents. Each of these elements is expressed on the mid-palate, counter-pointing firm “Cabernet-like” tannins and classic mountain structure to create a lean yet almost sinewy mouth-feel. The finish is a tightly-wound but lingering cascade of dark berry, black fig, black licorice, tobacco, charcoal, graphite, truffle, star anise, cedar, sandalwood and foresty-spice, with gentler suggestions of lavender and toasted Marcona almond. If it's five to twelve years from its full maturity, it is a fascinating beauty already.” – Don Gillette, Napa Valley Wine Exchange, San Francisco

The 2013 is a blend of Merlot (85%) with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon (15%). It is fermented and then aged in French oak—33% new—for 18 months before being bottled in the Spring, then bottle-aged for an additional 18 months before release.