Alluvia Merlot 2021
One-half of Intersection's flagship Merlot pair (along with the Silica)
In 2007 we planted one block of Merlot across two distinct soil types: a fine, thin plot of dry silicate sand, and the alluvial wake of an ancient creek system. For three years we created a unified Merlot from the block, until 2012 when we divided the field by soil and formed the Silica and Alluvia Merlots: twins in every way but one. Harvested in tandem and boasting near-identical winemaking, our labour is to isolate the single variable of soil in our flagship wines. Together, the Alluvia and Silica Merlots are paragons of all that we aim to achieve at Intersection: honest wines that truly represent a certain place at a certain time.
In Stock
Wine Specs
Vintage
2021
Varietal
Merlot
Cases Produced
285
Acid
6.20 g/L
pH
3.88
Aging
Open up with decanting for an hour or cellar for 5+ years. keep for 5-7 years.
Residual Sugar
.32 g/L
Alcohol %
15.2
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Medium burgundy with dark cherry highlights. Nose has good intensity and dominant bramble fruit, fresh cherry and a touch of a medicinal note. Classic licorice/anise notes in the background drive a savoury expression that's inviting and warm. Palate is dry and spicy with fragrant anise/cinnamon on the finish, dry tannins but not as big as the Silica, balanced.
Open up with decanting for an hour or cellar for 5+ years.
Food Pairing Notes
Match with lamb skewers or Merguez sausage, flatbreads and minty yogourt sauce.
Production
Harvested October 14th & 15th, 2021. Fermented in tank for 4 weeks, pressed and then aged in new (27%) & neutral French oak barriques for 18 months. 2021 was an unusually hot and dry year, so as a result we kept fruit thinning minimal and tried to retain as much acidity and balance as possible in such a year. Some local forest fire pressure occurred but not near or severe enough to negaively affect our portfolio. 270 cases produced.
The three brand new barriques used in the Alluvia and the Silica were all tight-grain French oak, with two of the three being Medium toast instead of Medium-Plus. The result is a little sweeter wood tannin and less smokiness from the barrel, which is crucial for keeping the fruit-forward expression intact in such an amazingly hot and smoky year. Seguin Moreau, Francois Freres and Ermitage were the producers, and I recall tasting the Seguins and thinking that they could be a stand-alone wine as a single barrel for each, interestingly this is the singular new Medium-Plus barrel in the blend!
Other Notes
Our 10.5 acre vineyard is over 50% Merlot, and we have two different clones, both identified in Bordeaux during the 1970s. The vines for both our Alluvia and Silica were planted together, across different soil types but sharing the same rows. The name "Alluvia" refers to glacial till that makes up most of the vineyard, featuring silt, gravel and large rocks. This alluvial till lends the wine distinct characters due to heavier canopy than the drier side of the block, larger berry size, slightly lower pH (due to shade and more water holding capacity in the soil). Using only 30% new oak and encouraging expression of the grapes, the result is a structured, deeply complex Merlot that can be enjoyed now, or hold for aging.