Burele 2018 Merlot Sonoma County, California

In California, Napa Valley gets all the glamour, but we don’t think that should be the case. Bordeaux winemakers like Pierre Seillan at Vérité or Gonzague and Claire Lurton of Trinité moved from France to start farming vineyards in Sonoma because of how special the land is. The Merlot grapes used in this wine come from the heart of the Valley, but from rows at the top of the property above the fertile ground. The dry, rocky soils force the grapes to struggle, resulting in concentrated, flavorful fruit. This Sonoma stunner is full of dark plum, blackberry, and strawberry flavors that play off of more complex, tertiary notes like dust, leather, dried sage and violet.