FLAVOR PROFILE:
Appealing and complex aromas of wild berry, red currant with a dusty, mocha-vanilla and warm, cedar-wood spice. Very richly structured and dense on the palate, it shows silky tannins that well-knit together with bold black cherry fruit and a richly-flavored, fruity finish.

APPELLATION: Coombsville area of Napa Valley, California
VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 100% Merlot
ALCOHOL: 14.8%
PRODUCTION: 310 cases
WINEMAKER: Brooks Painter

FOOD PAIRING:
In addition to the standard red-meat pairing, Merlot is an excellent partner for salmon, tuna, and prawns and scallops that have been wrapped in grilled bacon, or prosciutto. This wine goes well with dishes containing olives, mushrooms and herbal treatments of meat. It is also beautiful with grilled or charred foods, so fire up the barbie!

WINE REVIEW:
93 POINTS WINE SPECTATOR: "...offers appealing aromas of red currant, thyme and pencil lead, with layered black cherry and toasty mocha-oak flavors that deftly balance bold fruit and firm tannins."

VINEYARD INFO:
Napa native Michael Black has been a respected viticultralist and vineyard engineer for over 40 years. His resume includes planting many high profile vineyards in both Napa Valley and Sonoma County. In 1987 Michael decided to plant a vineyard on the rocky hillside surrounding his house. Located in Coombsville, the vineyard benefits from the two defining characteristics of the region: cool, marine influenced air and volcanic, well-drained soils. To give the vineyard a personal touch, Michael propagated his own Merlot clone that he named the “Black” Clone. The desired characteristics were small berries set in small clusters, all the better to concentrate the structure and complexity of the fruit. In 2004 COHO winery became associated with the Michael Black Vineyard and began to purchase the entire output. The wines reveal a richness and depth of flavor that is most often associated with the Merlot based wines from the Pommerol region of Bordeaux.

WINEMAKING INFO:
Harvest: Hand-picked on October 12 & 14, 2006
Brix at Harvest: 26.7
Brix PH: 3.52 pH
Total Acidity: 6.5 g/L
Crush: 100% whole berries
Pre-fermentation: 4 day cold soak at 50 degrees F
Fermentation: 14 days primary, malo-lactic fermentation in barrel
Peak Temperature: 93-94 degrees F
Pressing: 10 days after the onset of fermentation
Aging: 22 months in barrel
Oak: 100% French oak, 50% new for the vintage consisting of Allier, Troncais and Center of France forests, both medium and medium plus toast
Bottled: July 31, 2008
Release Date: November 1, 2009