Silica Merlot 2019 - Library Vintage
One-half of Intersection's flagship Merlot pair (along with Alluvia)
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
2019
Varietal
Merlot
Cases Produced
240
Acid
6.68 g/L
pH
3.71
Aging
Ready to enjoy now but will benefit from decanting a few hours or cellar 3-5 years.
Residual Sugar
3.36 g/L
Alcohol %
14.0
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Medium burgundy with cherry red highlights.
Jammy cherry and blackberry, excellent fruit intensity. Red candy licorice and cassis as well, very inviting aromas.
Palate is voluminous and rich with loads of fruit, a nice acidity in the background due to the cooler vintage, still classically Silica in its density and texture. Structured tannins, and not too coarse. Finishes with loads of red berry fruit, will certainly gain in complexity over time.
Production Notes
Harvested October 15th, 2019. Fermented in tank for 6 weeks and then aged in new (30%) & neutral French oak barriques for 18 months. 240 cases produced, average yield for the Merlot this year was 2.4 tons/acre. The winter of 2019 experienced some severe cold temperatures with resulted in a lighter crop overall, as did the two previous years of water damage. 2019 was cool at harvest compared for recent years with some small periods of rain, which leads to a pleasant acidity in all the reds that keeps the wine lively but also structured for aging.
Food Pairing Notes
Try this with steak frites or bistek (a Southeast Asian dish where pan-seared ribeyes are dressed with citrus juices, soy sauce and garlic).
Other Notes
Our 10.5 acre vineyard is over 50% Merlot, and we have two different clones, one of which was bred at UC Davis and the other in Pomerol, in Bordeaux. This wine is made from the Pomerol clone and was planted together with the Silica block, across different soil types but sharing the same rows. The name "Silica" refers to the sandy soil in the section on the vineyard, which lends the wine distinct characters due to smaller berry size (increased tannin and concentration of flavour), elevated pH (due to more frequent drip irrigation). 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.soil types but sharing the same rows. The name "Silica" refers to the sandy soil in the section on the vineyard, which lends the wine distinct characters due to smaller berry size (increased tannin and concentration of flavour), elevated pH (due to more frequent drip irrigation). 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.