Kendall-Jackson
2013 Grand Reserve Merlot
Merlot
California: Sonoma County
Mission Briefing
Grandstanding
Today’s Kendall Jackson 2013 Grand Reserve Merlot is a fantastic wine, especially at today’s low price!
Flexible and food-fabulous, this wine can be paired with most meals - or, since the wine is so hearty, enjoy it with bigger, bolder pairings. Pair this wine as you would a burly Cabernet, but take solace in the fact that there is plenty of juicy acidity here as well.
The mountain origins of this wine are evidenced from the second you put your nose in the glass to the last sip you take. Fine grained tannins and rich structure showcase the perfect balance of fruit and earth in this fine expression of Sonoma’s finest Merlot vineyards!
Black currants and dark cherries walk hand in hand with cigar box, braised plum, tobacco, cherry bark, ground pepper and sage. The bouquet feels like a walk through a wooded hillside.
Fine grained, almost chalky tannins wrapped around dark fruits and plums. There is a definite note of cedar and spice on the mid palate, with black cherry compote, grilled plum, smoky blackberry and darkly toasted oak.
This wine possesses a real approachability. We suggest enjoying a few bottles with your upcoming holiday meals, but you will also enjoy sipping it all on its own.
Enjoy this dark, rich and tasty wine now, but squirrel away a couple of bottles for the next few years. It will only get better!
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Here’s what the wine press has to say:
91 points - Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast - ”This is an impressive undertaking, made from estate vineyards across the region, all certified sustainable. Medium in build and intensity, it allows acidity to balance out the strong, interwoven tannin and power to remain buoyant in high-toned cherry and currant. It finishes with a flourish of cinnamon spice.”
Tasting Profile
Look: | Dark and brooding ruby with notes of deep indigo. As the wine settles, tall, skinny tears cling to the glass wall, moving very slowly to the wine below. |
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Smell: | Black currant, dark cherry, cigar box, braised plum, tobacco, cherry bark, ground pepper and sage. |
Taste: | Dark fruits and plums with definite notes of cedar and spice on the mid palate, followed by black cherry compote, grilled plum, smoky blackberry and darkly toasted oak. |
Finish: | Rich and soft without being easy going, this is a cab drinker’s merlot for sure. Chewy, drying tannins punctuate the flavors, well into the extended finish. |
Pairing: | French cut lamb chops fresh off the grill, ham steaks, and cassoulet beckon! |
What the Winery Says
- Winemaker
- Mark Theis
- Varietal
- Merlot
- Composition
- 98% Merlot
- ~
- 0.9% Cabernet Franc
- ~
- 0.7% Malbec
- ~
- 0.3% Cabernet Sauvignon
- ~
- 0.1% Petite Verdot
- Appellation
- Sonoma County
- Abv
- 14.5%
- T.A.
- 0.58g/100mL
- pH
- 3.60
- Aging
- 17 months
- Barrels
- 88% French oak (28% new)
- ~
- 12% American oak