Gold Medal & Best of Class - Pacific Rim Wine Competition
Regular WineHeist customers are no doubt familiar with Schug Estate, founded in Carneros by Walter Schug over 30 years ago. While Carneros is probably best known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, in the early days of this region, much of it was planted to Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet and Merlot. As the winemaker for Joseph Phelps in the 1970s, Walter Schug clearly knows his way around the grapes of Bordeaux, and he has kept the tradition of these grapes in Carneros alive at Schug. Since Carneros is cooler than Napa, the resulting Bordeaux style wines tend to be lighter bodied and more elegant, which perfectly suits the winemaking at Schug.
The 2007 Schug Sonoma Valley Merlot is actually a Bordeaux-style blend, with 14% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc added into the blend to add depth and richness. This Merlot is light ruby in color, with a hint of garnet. The nose shows cherry, plum, and blackberry aromas, accompanied by a hint of briar and spice. The palate is tight and focused, with red and black fruit joined by a spicy, almost earthy side. Plenty of acidity carries through on the finish, where a subtle chocolate flavor is framed by a hint of new oak. The generous acidity makes this an ideal food wine, perfect for grilled lamb or milder sausage. At under $20 a bottle this is the perfect red wine to stock up on, as it will pair well with a range of foods and has the elegance to drink well during the warmer months, while it has enough stuffing to serve in the winter as well.
Appellation: Sonoma Valley
Harvest Dates: September 7th through October 29th, 2007
Sugar at Harvest: 24.6 degrees Brix average
Fermentation: 12 days in stainless steel tanks, pumped over three times daily
Aging Cooperage: Aged 24 months in 20% new oak barrels: French, Hungarian, and American
Alcohol: 14.0% by volume
Acidity: 0.63 g/100ml; pH = 3.45
Release Date: November 1st, 2010
95 Points
Aromas of wild berries, black fig and ripe dark fruits are intertwined with hints of fresh mountain herbs, mineral, leather, savory spices, and cigar box. On the palate, the rich fruit flavors of dark cherry, ripe plum, blackberry, red currants and cassis are layered with notes of wild sage, dark chocolate truffle, cinnamon, clove, and a kiss of fine French oak.
94 Points
Juice explodes right out of the glass with its dark purple in color and bursting aromas of black cherry jam, boysenberry, raspberry and wild cherry interlaced with hints of baking spice, espresso bean, and toasted nut. The palate is ripe and juicy with flavors of dark cherry, huckleberry and raspberry perfectly integrated with notes of spice, dark chocolate, and a kiss of toasty oak.
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