This wine is 100 percent Merlot from the Ashes and Diamonds Estate Vineyard. Steve has been overseeing the farming of this classic Merlot Vineyard since 2015, The fruit was fermented in a small, open-top tank and punched down by hand two to three times a day, depending on the rate of extraction. The wine was aged in 25% new French oak Bousset barrels and the rest older neutral barrels. The wine was bottled after 20 months of elevage, with no rackings. The pH is 3.65, the acidity is 5.6 g/l, and the alcohol is 13.0%. 228 cases produced. The wine has the richness and aromatic profile of Merlot, with impeccable balance and elegance. The vineyard always gives sweet cherry and chocolate, balanced by dried herbs. 2019 was a warm and consistent year, so the fast ripening facilitated an early harvest before the fruit got too ripe, allowing us to retain beautiful freshness.