Palate
The 2010 Merus is beautifully balanced and extremely
complex. the cooler weather conditions throughout the growing season yielded a wine that is elegant,
structured, high-toned and complete. Key notes include violet, cedar, granite and red fruit.
Growing Conditions
Handmade in every sense of the word, Merus is composed of fruit grown in the Coombsville AVA of
southern Napa Valley. The vineyards selected for Merus are owned by a handful of serious growers who
possess extraordinary terroir and a willingness to implement our strict farming and harvesting
protocols.
The 2010 Merus features fruit from individual rows of vines in the top vineyards of Coombsville, a
relatively new AVA in the southern part of Napa Valley. Isolated and protected, Coombsville’s Region
II climate is warmer and sunnier than nearby Carneros and cooler than many renowned districts to the
north. The topography is a mix of hills, benches and mountains and the soils are volcanic, marine and
alluvial. The unusual growing conditions create wines that are lush, structured, and elegant.
Bottling
It was bottled unfined and
unfiltered to preserve aromatics, texture and flavor.
Winemaking
Severe pruning, cluster sorting, small-lot fermentations and careful lot selection combine to
create a wine that is dense, concentrated and nuanced. The 2010 Merus was vinified and aged in our
temperature and humidity controlled caves below Howell Mountain.
Aging
100% new French oak from selected coopers; 20 months in barrel.
