Emme Wines What Happens Next?

My second wine from Nakai Vineyard, and another new grape for me in 2020. Aki Nakai traditionally makes his Merlot for his own small label in Japan, but decided not to produce it in 2020. After I picked his Muscat Vert, he called and asked if I’d be interested in his small block of Merlot as well. I said yes, so he picked out the block and sent it to me at the end of September. Much riper than I pick most of the fruit, the Merlot came in at close to 25 brix. I decided to make as close to a classic California Merlot as possible, while maintaining the acidity and freshness of the fruit. I footcrushed the Merlot to tank and left it on skins for slightly over a week, with foot treading and pumpovers twice a day. Once pressed and through primary fermentation, the Merlot was put into neutral oak and left to go through malolactic fermentation over the winter. Due to its high tannin and acid profile, it is the only wine I decided not to bottle in March. Instead, I left it to develop slowly in barrel _sur lie _until bottling in early August. Indigenous yeast fermentation. No added sulfur, no other additions, unfined and unfiltered. Tasting Notes: Juicy cassis on a bed of dolmas and crushed granite. Grippy youthful tannin. Delicious now, but will age beautifully. -Rosalind Reynolds, Emme Wines