Bouchon Superior Reserve Merlot 2021 California

At Bouchon our Winemaker has chosen to use oak barrels just enough to enhance the flavors of his Merlot without allowing the oak to dominate the varietal character. This requires careful attention to fermentation and to aging. Each wine is tasted repeatedly to determine how much of the oak has influenced the flavor. Only an experienced winemaker, tasting from barrel, can predict what the wine will
be like when all of the flavors have been harmonized after the wine has been bottled and held for additional maturing in the bottle. Bouchon varietal wines respect the special character in varietal wines which is derived from being held in oak barrels. "It's the Oak" is a promise to strike the right balance between varietal intensity - the true flavor of the grape when harvested - and the vanilla/spice flavors which derive from contact with oak. Wine in barrels is constantly changing as it matures, and the winemaker must observe each barrel individually, because each barrel is subtly different from it's neighbors in the cellars. (Just as no two trees are exactly alike, no two barrels made from oak staves are the same; each will mature the wine it contains differently from another barrel.) As always the objective of oak aging at Bouchon is to enhance varietal flavor and not to mask it; we seek to add complexity, but not to taste of oak. Easy drinking wine, presenting great value as a daily wine bottle. Flavors of plush and plummy merlot, with some secondary notes of baking spices. Lively black cherry aromas are followed by lush fruit flavors with hints of vanilla. Soft on the palate, with a long finish. 100% Barrel aged for 4-6 months