2021 Merlot
Tasting notes
Ripe plums, bay leaf, dark cherry, fig paste, and dark chocolate shavings. Swirling brings black licorice, cigar box, crushed gravel, and hints of raspberry and oak spice. Rich and savory, with remarkable sweetness and a full mid-palate, the mouthfeel here shows ripe dark fruits and umami flavors, with hints of citrus peel and mocha. Broad but remarkably balanced, the wine showcases fine tannins, soft texture, and a very long end. Drink now or in the next 15 years.
Stainless steel fermeneted. Aged in new and neutral French oak for 18 months.
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Varietal Composition | Merlot |
| Vineyard | Conner Lee & Scarline |
| Alcohol | 14.60% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Cases Produced | 145 |
Gård Vintners wines are 100% estate grown sustainably at Lawrence Vineyards, featuring 14 distinct vineyard sites. With elevations that range 870 feet to 1,675 feet and primarily south-facing slopes, Lawrence Vineyards provide a great framework for grape production, while the diversity of each of the locations delivers a high level of complexity to Gård wines. Lawrence Vineyards is certified sustainable.
MATÍAS KÚSULAS
Winemaker & Viticulturist
A Chilean with Greek roots, Matías was a Marine officer and Naval Engineer in Chile for more than seven years when he realized that it was time to change the course of his career: In 2005, he started studying Agricultural Engineering at the University of Chile, where he graduated with distinction and a major in Viticulture and Enology. He worked in Chile for a few years and in 2011 he decided to start traveling the world on a quest to learn new wine-making techniques. After several harvests in Oceania, Europe and Africa, he settled down in France, to do his post degrees at the Universities of Bordeaux and Montpellier. He also performed for two years as a Maître de Chai for one of the oldest and most reputable wineries in Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie.
After years of traveling and over 15 harvests, he came to the United States and joined Gård Vintners/Lawrence Vineyards as a Production Winemaker and Viticulturist, and is currently head winemaker for Gård Vintners, Desert Wind Winery, Valo Cellars, and his own label, Massalto. In his spare time he likes to jump out of planes and is a Judo Black Belt.
