Good reason to smile – our vigneronne Pascale tastes the first CabMerlot
Where do we start? This is a very open blog…even more open than our usual high standards. In fact it’s probably more of a discussion!
During the recent (too short) visit to Cardan, it was wonderful to taste the two 2012 Paradise Rescued wines. As we hope you have already read, the 100% varietal Cabernet Franc Cloud9 is unbelievable – we are very pleased (so far). Cloud9 already has a very specific unique and increasingly beautiful taste.
In vat C-3 is our Cabernet Merlot, a 40% blend of our first ever Merlot harvest from the 55 year old recovered vines in Hourcat Centre and the remaining 60% Cabernet Franc from Hourcat Sud. We have just enough to make just one barrique of this new wine. With no other prior reference point, our initial impressions are very positive. The wine reflects both Pascale Bervas growing vineyard skills and Albane Bervas wine making brilliance. The body of the wine is already full and round – typical for Merlot – but it retains that Paradise Rescued finesse and elegance. The tannins are soft and smooth due to the Cabernet Franc.
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Merlot grapes awaiting harvest in Hourcat Centre – September 2012
In the long term it is our plan to make Hourcat Centre our home and centre of excellence for Merlot. We believe that this terroir has exceptional potential. At this stage, we cannot say whether our final wine will be a pure varietal Merlot or a Cabernet Franc Merlot (CabMerlot) blend. We do have a great name reserved for what we believe will be a special wine! Equally we do not know whether the CabMerlot currently in C-3 is representative of what we will make in the long term. So, for now, we will be using a different name for this wine until we are clear about the future potential and possible blend combinations from the Hourcat Centre block. Our CabMerlot in vat C-3 will be called “C-3” until a suitable final brand name is agreed. And who knows, if our customers like this blend, maybe the “C-3” style and blend will become a regular part of the Paradise Rescued brand family?
Exciting times ahead…[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]