2004 Huntington Wine Cellars Sonoma County Reserve Merlot

 

Mission Codename: Falcon’s View

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Scout out another great winery-exclusive wine for our dedicated field Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Huntington Wine Cellars

Wine Subject: 2004 Sonoma County Reserve Merlot

Winemaker: Kerry Damskey

Backgrounder: Once again, The Wine Spies scoop a fantastic exclusive that you can’t buy in your local bottle shop or corner grocery. Through special relationships with wine producers, growers and suppliers, we are able to secure special allocations of wine that you won’t find anywhere else. You have two choices when buying todays wine – Go to the winery in beautiful downtown Healdsburg, California, or pick some up here during our limited-time sale.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep red and garnet in color with thick edges

Smell – Balanced aromas of cherries and fruit with hints of licorice and aromatic flowers

Feel – Solid tannic structure with warm characteristics that fill your mouth

Taste – Great balanced flavors of dark cherries and plums with a hint of sweetness balanced with complex layers of black licorice, mocha and a hint of earthiness indicative of its Terroir

Finish – This wine finishes long and robustly, lingering in your mouth and inviting another sip

Conclusion – This Merlot shows a particular sophistication with its balance between ripe fruit and subtle licorice, pepper and earthiness. Merlot continues to be a crowd-pleasing wine as it has so much to offer to so many different people. Merlot continues to be one of our favorite grape varietals showing tremendous character, soft and smooth fruit and great richness.

Mission Report:

I love this sort of mission: After an urgent call from Central Command, I sprang into action to find a winery-”only” wine for our field Operatives.

As a spy, I am required to think fast – and press appropriate resources into service on a moments notice. I am dedicated to my craft and my personal network of assets in the field is world-class – and wine-industry deep.

Today I called, once again, on one of my most trusty wine informants, Codename: Stone. A flurry of phone calls, a little old-fashioned greasing of some wheels (don’t call it bribery) and a clandestine rendezvous later and I had in my hands an absolute superstar of a wine… as became apparent after a brief in the field swirl-and-sip session.

Today’s wine is only available directly from the winery. How, exactly, do we get our hands on these wines? Its all about quality connections and sharing the love. Our dedication to our Operatives and to our wineries is felt by all involved.

Wine Spies Technical Analysis:

Acidity: 0.72

Alcohol: 14.7%

Appellation: Sonoma

Oak: New and aged French oak, 18 months

Release Date: March 01, 2007

Varietal Notes: 87% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon

Year: 2004

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The grapes for this superb wine were grown in two great vineyards

The location of the Nevins Vineyards in Alexander Valley can be seen in this satellite photo.

The location of the Nelson Vineyards in Bennet Valley can be seen in this satellite photo.