The wine is made from Merlot from Blair Vineyards (Calistoga, next to Three Palms in Duckhorn), as well as other famous vineyards in Napa Valley. The goal is to create a Bordeaux right bank, Pomerol style wine dominated by Merlot. This is the origin of winemaker Benoit Touquet and is his true forte. It is packed with the fruitiness of Napa Valley Merlot, a silky mouthfeel, elegant acidity, and well-balanced, firm tannins.
This is Ream's first blended wine since the company was founded in 2002. It starts from the Blair vineyard, adjacent to Three Palms Vineyard in Duckhorn, the mecca for Merlot in Napa.
Vineyard: Blair Vineyard (just before Calistoga, adjacent to Three Palms in Duckhorn)
Faela Vineyards (Coombsville, co-owned by Ream)
Beckstoffer Orchard Avenue Vineyards (Oak Knoll)
Since the company was founded in 2002, this wine is a blend of grapes from various vineyards in Napa Valley, mainly Merlot. In 2002, it was a rare stroke of luck and surprise to be able to obtain excellent quality Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc from a single vineyard. I can now recall that it was a "perfect storm," which reflects the "storm" that was given to this wine.
When considering the best vineyard choices for Merlot, Three Palms Vineyard in Calistoga comes to mind. The winery will blend fully ripe, rich and concentrated Merlot from the neighboring Blair Vineyard, which has almost the same soil, with cool Merlot from Faella Vineyard and Beckstoffer Orchard Avenue Vineyard in the cooler Coombsville and Oak Knoll.
The aim is to create a wine in the Pomerol style on the right bank of Bordeaux. This wine shows the true essence of Benoit Touquet, originally from Bordeaux, France. It has a well-balanced combination of fruitiness typical of Napa Valley Merlot, silky mouthfeel, elegant acidity, and firm tannins.
In the future, the house will be demolished and the fields will need to be replanted, expanding the area to 5 blocks of 2ha, but the bush clones will be transplanted and will remain as 0.2ha blocks, along with the history of the area. Production volume: 200cs/year
label
The name is inspired by Shakespeare's work "The Tempest". It is named after the romantic drama that depicts a world of harmony and reconciliation, and evokes the calmness and complexity of a harmonious Merlot. A new label will be released from the 2021 vintage. The British oil painter and professor Richard Towards has used a color scheme similar to that of the previous label, and the stacked chairs balance each other to represent the balance of Merlot.
Vintage: 2021
Capacity: 750ml
Type: Red wine
Taste: Full-bodied
Main variety: Merlot 75%
Blend: 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec
Country of Origin: America
Region Name: California
AVA: Napa Valley
Vineyards: Blair Vineyard, Farella Vineyard, Beckstoffer Orchard Avenue Vineyard
Winemaker: Benoit Touquette
Cap: Cork
Alcohol content: 14.6%