Luna Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot 2004

Our 2004 Napa Valley Merlot is the color of vibrant raspberries. The nose is filled with smoked, roasted walnuts and a touch of brambleberry. This is a big, muscular Merlot with an abundance of blackberry, Mission figs, and anise on the mid-palate. Seamless, elegant layers appear on the finish, with more black fruits, followed by persistent, tongue-dusting tannins. The long finish reflects the subtlety and elegance of Merlot as a varietal. This is a wine that will be enjoyable for its vibrancy, for the next two to four years. Over the next decade, it should evolve to become more defined and concentrated.

The 2004 Napa Valley Merlot is composed of fruit from three different Merlot vineyards. The Stagecoach vineyard sits high above Oakville, at 1,500 feet. The soils are from the Aiken series, which are volcanic in nature. The fruit ripens fully, with a naturally high acid level, offering bright plum and red fruit flavors. The other high altitude vineyard is on Howell Mountain; several blocks can be found here at elevations between 1,900 and 2,200 feet. The vineyard was planted in 1990, and struggles to produce two tons per acre. The final Merlot vineyard in the 2004 blend is in Carneros. The vines are planted one mile north of San Pablo Bay, in a cool and foggy coastal climate. These vines are late to ripen and their grapes have an amazingly dark, matte, black color, with very thick skins. Thanks to biodynamic farming, the canopy and fruit are naturally in balance, with a production of three tons per acre.

The 2004 harvest was one of the earliest on record, with most fruit being picked by the end of September. The grapes in the 2004 Napa Valley Merlot were picked between September 20th and October 1st, at an average of 25.4 degrees Brix. The wine was fermented naturally, with no yeasts or acids added. All lots were pressed at the completion of harvest, with no extended maceration. The wine spent twenty months in 50% new French oak barrels from Billon and Bossuet, before being bottled, unfined and unfiltered.