Mission Codename Bench press
Three Mountain-bred reds from Gordenker down!
Congratulations if you scored one, two, or all three. But if you missed out, or just can’t get enough of those high-elevation reds, we have one more in store for you. This time we rang our good friends at Ty Caton and asked for another serving of their Moon Mountain Merlot.
The price is always right with Ty Caton’s wines. They overdeliver in a big way and smash expectations every time. It’s about TYME we say for another!
Even at full retail, this is daylight robbery. At our price, well under $30, you’ll find it impossible to beat the flat-out quality it serves up, from anywhere really, in Sonoma OR Napa - read on to see why.
This rugged, mountain-bred Merlot comes from a select plot on Moon Mountain atop the Mayacamas range, on the wrong side (according to growers missing out on Napa tax rights just a mile or two away) of Mount Veeder’s Sonoma side of things. Only 3 acres are planted to Merlot in the Upper Bench sector of the Caton Vineyard which Ty describes as “the highest point of the vineyard with the deepest, richest, red volcanic soil.”
Historically Moon Mountain has been the home to plenty of legendary names such as Monte Rosso, Kamen, Hanzell, etc. Ty has been farming this prime land for decades and coaxing some MASSIVE wines from his vines. We’ve been turning them loose for years and to this day, Ty Caton remains one of, if not THE most popular winery from our neck of the woods.
This is full-throttle Merlot. Inky black, ripe, and plush, with a suave, smooth texture. It’s pumped full of black plums, figs, black cherry, mocha, brown sugar, and vanilla-laced-caramels. Just a baby right now, and it has a long road ahead. If you need a Merlot to stand up to rich fare, like big juicy steaks or a pot of curry, you found one.
We hope there’s enough to last the rest of the day. Knowing how popular Ty Caton’s wines are, we can’t promise anything though…
What the Winery Says
2019 Upper Bench Moon Mountain Merlot
- Winemaker
- Ty Caton
- Varietal
- 100% Merlot
- Vintage
- 2019
- Alcohol
- 14.9%
- Appellation
- Moon Mountain District, Sonoma County
- Vineyard
- Caton Estate Vineyard
- Aging
- 18 months
- Barrels
- 45% new French oak