2017 Brecon Meritage (Library, Club Only!)
We suppose imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Brecon has actually had to go all inky dark on you regarding our vineyard sourcing. Our English winemaker is feeling “A little miffed” bordering on “It’s a bit pesky” due to a spate of attempted vineyard contract thefts. BTW, the last time the British collectively had such a feeling was in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out during the blitz. Either way the majority of grapes are from Brecon old vines. Meaning it has our signature broad spectrum of flavors including, ironically, a subtle hint of Assam from the Cab Franc. The forest and earthy aroma interplay between varietals is very nuanced again a Brecon Meritage hallmark.
The real skill with a Meritage is undoubtedly in the various blending steps. Subtle vintage variations mean the path to making the wine lively, integrated and above all organoleptically interesting, like this example, differs every year. After all the last thing anybody wants is a hodgepodge, a mishmash, or a past up job. For Brecon, it starts early with pre-blends (think baby steps in blending), tannin management, and careful oak integration.
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Varietal | Meritage |
| Varietal Composition | 100% 2017 Paso Robles.
23.02% Petit Verdot, Brecon.
14.62% Petit Verdot, Kirk Landry.
20.2% Malbec, Kirk landry.
20.1% Cabernet Franc, Parish.
22.04% Cab Sauv, Brecon.
|
| Appellation | Paso Robles, |
| Sugar | 0.04g/100ml |
| Acid | 0.62g/100ml |
| PH | 3.76 |
| Aging | Drink Now - 2028 |
| Residual Sugar | 0.27 |
| Alcohol | 14.80% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 08/29/2019 |
| Cases Produced | 273 |
Since procuring Brecon (way, way back in 2012!) we have been slowly progressing towards making the Meritage wholly from Estate fruit. It's those exceptional clonal selections of both Malbec and Petit Verdot we have “oh so patiently” been waiting to come online. You might conceivably argue that we are over 45% of the way there with this blend as Brecon fruit makes up the said percentage. The old vine Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc’s complexity still dominates while the modern clones add brightness, color and structure.
