On first inhale plum, cherry, and sage waft into the nose. The wine is a beautiful Christmas cranberry color with a tint of purple. After letting the wine breathe for a few minutes the soft round notes of cranberry jam with subtle star anise identify themselves. As the wine hits the mouth, its inky density spreads into a soft, savory layered blanket that hits mid-palette, causing salvation and a juicy effect that fluffs up the tongue with a finish of peppery tannins.
This exceptionally pleasant wine was a part of a small production year for Paloma. Light rainfalls during bloom in the spring of 2016 reduced the crop load come harvest. Production was only 910 cases, but this low production led to a more concentrated source of flavor in the wine. This vintage is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Currently, the limited remaining allocation of 2016 Merlot is only available in the 3-bottle and 6-bottle vertical collections.
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As a year 2016
After a few relatively dry winters, rainfall was still slightly below average. A warm spring and hot summer made for an early start to harvest, with a heat spike hitting in early September bringing in all the fruit before the end of the month.