Matthiasson Family A&D Merlot 2019

Napa Valley, California

This wine is 100 percent Merlot from the Ashes and Diamonds Estate Vineyard. Steve has been overseeing
the farming of this classic Merlot Vineyard since 2015,
The fruit was fermented in a small, open-top tank and punched down by hand two to three times a day,
depending on the rate of extraction. The wine was aged in 25% new French oak Bousset barrels and the
rest older neutral barrels. The wine was bottled after 20 months of elevage, with no rackings.
The pH is 3.65, the acidity is 5.6 g/l, and the alcohol is 13.0%. 228 cases produced.
The wine has the richness and aromatic profile of Merlot, with impeccable balance and elegance. The
vineyard always gives sweet cherry and chocolate, balanced by dried herbs. 2019 was a warm and
consistent year, so the fast ripening facilitated an early harvest before the fruit got too ripe, allowing us to
retain beautiful freshness.
The Vineyard
The Ashes and Diamonds Merlot Vineyard, in the West side of the Oak Knoll district, is situated on the Dry
Creek alluvial fan. The very light and thin soils are composed of a foot of silty loam and alluvial gravel with
just a bit of clay. The vines are naturally small berried and early ripening. The vineyard was originally
planted by Mondavi back in the 1980s, and the mature vines are fully adapted to their site, producing
elegant but full Merlot year in and year out. The morning fog burns off most days by 10am, and the
afternoon sea breezes hit the vineyard like clockwork around 4pm, cooling the fruit after its time in the
warm daily sun.

750 ml