Description
Pestoni Family, Howell Mountain Merlot
Although the Pestonis are nestled on the valley floor, one must look skyward to locate the origin of this special library release. Roughly 2,000 feet up Howell Mountain, the “Three Tears Vineyard” is home to just three acres of Merlot, the sole source of today’s wine. After picking and twice-sorting the fruit, the grapes were de-stemmed and transferred into stainless steel for fermentation. Upon completion, the resulting wine matured in high-quality French oak barrels, 65% new, for 20 months. Only a few hundred cases were originally produced. This small parcel has spent its entire life slumbering in their cellar.
As compared to the Cabernet, Pestoni’s 2013 Merlot is a “softer” mountain wine with superbly ripe, juicy fruit shining throughout. After 30 minutes in a decanter, one can expect opulent aromas of red and black plum, kirsch, strawberry coulis, black raspberry, cacao, bay leaf, shaved cedar, and wild mint. The palate is full-bodied, lush, and inviting with warm brambly fruits and faint stony minerality that gives it more structure and profundity than Merlot grown on the valley floor. At nine years old, it’s incredibly youthful and, although delicious, I think this wine won’t reach its gustatory peak for another 2-3 years. Enjoy!
