2021 Beau Terre Merlot

Hill Family Estate takes Merlot quite seriously, and we believe the Merlot grape has an elegance to offer that is different from Cabernet Sauvignon. 2021 was a fairly normal viticultural year until late August. We had less than average yields because for the 4th year, winter rains came up short, curtailing irrigations. Cluster sizes were already small, and berries remained small. Merlot from Beau Terre was harvested on September 14 at 26 Brix, and still with nice pH and acidity. The Cabernet Sauvignon from Beau Terre was harvested on  September 28 at 25.7 Brix. The Beau Terroir Malbec and Merlot came in on October 7 at 25 Brix. We used D254 yeast to encourage the red and black fruit and kept temperatures during fermentation in the 85 to 87 range. The lots all went to barrel directly after pressing so the total time in barrel was 17 months. Because of the big tannins in 2021, this wine has enough structure for many years of aging. The 2021 Merlot is filled with aromas of boysenberry, raspberry, toasted hazelnut and toffee. The palate is rich with lovely acidity in the center, allowing the rich flavors of raspberry and luxardo cherry to swell over the palate.