Alluvia Merlot 2022
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
2022
Varietal
Merlot
Cases Produced
188
Acid
5.80 g/L
pH
3.59
Aging
Open up with decanting for an hour or cellar for 5+ years. keep for 5-7 years.
Residual Sugar
.8 g/L
Alcohol %
14.0
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Medium burgundy with garnet highlights.
Nose has pleasing plum and cherry fruit, warm spices, red licorice and cranberry fruit throughout. Fragrant, expressive and interesting. Good complexity despite its very early release!
Palate is smooth, spicy with a juicy acidity that gives the fruit a really nice "lift" midway through to the finish. Cocoa powder and mixed baking spices on the finish, warm and pleasant.
Production Notes
2022 was a cooler & rainier vintage, but a record tonnage was produced and the long, warm October helped flavour and colour development get to the quality level where we want our Merlot to be. Alluvia was picked October 19th and 20th, fermented in tank for 4 weeks, pressed and then aged in new & neutral French oak barriques for 20 months. Bottling is planned in two batches so total case production is approximately 450 cases at time of writing.
Winemaker Notes
Some interesting barrel information!
Due to being 20 tons over the usual crop, we had to scramble for as many barrels as we could find! We got two extra new barrels for a total of four in the blend, and used a combination of 2nd and 3rd fill barrels to round out the profile. So the breakdown for the 20-barrel blend is: 4 new, 3 second fill, 2 third fill and the remainder all barriques from 2019 and earlier--they may still have a little oak impact but not very much. We spent a week reconditioning and repairing all the neutral red barrels we had in the winery, with only one single barrel not making the cut because its leaks could not be fixed. The more delicate structure of the 2022 reds actually lends itself to a more balanced wine with less new oak overall.
Food Pairing Notes
Match to homemade pork wontons, herby mushroom risotto or a selection of cured meats and hard cheeses (add dried blueberries and cranberries to the charcuterie board for a perfect mirror to the palate--impressive!)
Open up with decanting for an hour or cellar for 3+ years.
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 washdown material that makes up most of the vineyard, featuring silt, gravel and large rocks. This alluvial material 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 20% 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.