| 2002 Twomey Napa Valley Merlot 750mL (94Pts)
Napa Valley, USA    |
Product Notes:
The 2002 Twomey Merlot is an intense, concentrated wine that combines power and finesse in beautiful balance. It displays a very dark, ruby color and a complex nose of black cherry jam,
roasting coffee, dark chocolate and cloves. It has a velvety, voluptuous mouth-feel with flavors of cherries covered in dark chocolate, and an extremely long finish with echoes of fruit and spice. Given proper cellaring, this full-bodied Merlot will continue to give drinking pleasure until 2019. -From the Winery
Also of note is the meticulous process used to make this wine. It is called "soutirage traditional", and is used by all of the classified Bordeaux producers in France. In short, the process begins with specially designed barrels. These special barrels have thinner staves, allowing for the ideal amount of air exchange. This alone produces a wine with more fruit, and softer tannins. Over the next 18 months, the wine is essentially decanted by transferring the wine through 5 different barrels. Every time the wine moves to a different barrel, it is done by hand rather than by a pump. This very delicate process produces wine of exceptional clarity, amazing aromatics, and a wonderfully silky texture.
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 About Estate:
Twomey Cellars originates in a single Napa Valley vineyard, the Soda Canyon Ranch, where Merlot grows with such extraordinary complexity that it calls for a wine of its own. To showcase the brilliance and balance of these grapes, winemaker Daniel Baron (Of Silver Oak) and the owners of the vineyard, Ray Duncan and his family, incorporate the Old World, labor-intensive approach used by classified growths in Bordeaux. Daniel Baron, who learned to make wine this way while working with some of the greatest winemakers and cellarworkers of Pomerol and St. Emilion, demonstrates that the meticulous care involved provides a pure reflection of the Duncan's vineyard.
Today Duncan watches carefully over the progress of Twomey Cellars, extending a commitment to quality in viticulture and winemaking that he established more than thirty years ago. He has turned to the next generation of Duncans to manage the winery and sustain his exacting standards. The Duncan brothers, with decades of executive experience in the wine industry and other fields have forged a partnership to fulfill the striking potential of their family's vineyard.
-From the Winery
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Food Pairing:
Merlot is a very versatile food wine. It pairs well with most meats including more hearty seafood such as tuna. Merlot also enhances flavors in mushroom dishes, pasta dishes, stews and pizza. As for sweets, merlot wines work very well with tart fruit such as berries and cherries.
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About Varietal:
Merlot is a traditional Bordeaux wine varietal. It is traditionally blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to soften up the tannins, and provide a more drinkable wine in its youth. Common flavors in Merlot are blackberry, black cherry, plum, currant, clove, mint, cedar, and violet. This wine has become very popular due to its complexity and drinkability at a young age.
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Recipe:
Steak with Mushroom Merlot Sauce Recipe
This steak recipe goes very well with merlot wine - Use some for the sauce, and the rest for your glass!
INGREDIENTS:
2 10oz ribeye steaks
2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp butter
6oz shiitake mushrooms
1 shallot
3/4 cup merlot
1 Tbsp thyme
First, salt and pepper steaks on both sides. Heat the vegetable oil to medium high, and then cook steaks for about 3 minutes per side.
Put the steaks on a plate but keep the oil in the pan. Put the butter in the pan, along with the wine, chopped up mushrooms and chopped up shallots and reduce for 5-10 minutes. Pour this sauce over the steaks and serve.
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