Rodney Strong Merlot

Plum and blueberry flavors with a touch of dried herb predominate in this soft, rich, mouth filling Merlot. These characteristics are enhanced by aging in small oak barrels for a toasty, spicy vanilla character and a lingering berry-cream fi nish. Drink this satisfying Merlot over the next two to four years.

The 2010 vintage started with a cool and fairly wet spring that remained mostly frost free. The late rains generated a healthy canopy, one that required careful management to insure ripe flavors. The cool spring evolved into an exceptionally cool summer, punctuated by a three day heat spike in August which reduced yields in many varieties. September started out warm and ended the same way, giving us the ripeness we were waiting for.

We harvested our Merlot starting at the end of September, and finished on October 27th At Rodney Strong Vineyards we’ve been growing Merlot since the early 1970s, when Rod Strong first planted it in Geyserville, the heart of the Alexander Valley.

Today we continue to farm Merlot in four estate vineyards in the Alexander Valley, which display the deep dark fruit fl avors and mature tannins of this warmer American Viticultural Area.