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2014 Merlot, Judge's Reserve - end of vintage

2014 Lucas & Lewellen Judge's Reserve Merlot
2014 Judge's Reserve Merlot
2014 Lucas & Lewellen Judge's Reserve Merlot
Front Label Back Label

Merlot from Don Miguel, hand harvested October 7th, 2014. The harvest Brix level was pushing the upper limit but the acid was high. This indicates the wine grapes ripened slowly, but may have dimpled a little under the warm sun. The unrelenting heat and drought lends a hand in the story of this wine. The wine is very saturated and intense. Merlot is usually soft, somewhat medium bodied and lighter in color than, say, Cabernet Sauvignon. This Merlot is inky and opaque, will be aged in new oak for almost two years which is adding smoke and vanilla to a boysenberry syrup fruitiness in the aroma. The wine isn’t a classic Merlot but it is a hedonistic pleasure.
Click here for Gabe Saglie's Santa Barbara News-Press article on the release of Judge's Reserve Merlot.

Merlot
Los Alamos Valley
Bordeaux varietal
Judge's Reserve
$82.00
$65.60

Wine Club Price

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Vintage: 
2014
Appellation: 
Santa Barbara County
Estate Vineyard: 
Los Alamos Valley Vineyards
Price: 
$82.00
Wine Club Price: 
$65.60
Composition: 

100% Merlot

Fermentation: 

Punchdown

Oak: 

French Oak

Alcohol: 
14.50%
Acidity: 
0.62
pH: 
3.65
Bottled: 
July, 2016
Release Date: 
November, 2016
Production: 
191
Winemaker: 
Megan McGrath
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