Sebastiani Sonoma County Merlot

Last fall, Sebastiani Vineyards was one of the wineries I visited on my trip to Sonoma County.  If you’re ever doing a wine tour in the area I would recommend giving them a visit as they have a beautiful wine room with enormous old redwood casks.  It’s a sight to see.

Sebastiani is a family-owned winery, and has been since 1905, when it was founded by Italian immigrant Samuele Sebastiani.  Over the years they had grown to become a mega-producer, making some 8 million cases of wine per year. But in 2001 they sold the Turner Road brands of wine, bringing the production at Sebastiani down to under 200,000 cases per year.

Currently, they have produce a few different lines of Sebastiani-labeled wine and the Sonoma County line is their entry-level wine.

There is some classic Merlot plum on the nose of this wine, along with ripe berries.  There’s also some rose and a wee bit of black pepper.  The palate is soft and fruity with lots of berry flavors and plum.  I’d even say there a hint of bubblegum, but it’s not overly artificial tasting.  The finish has a touch of chocolate, but not a lot of complexity.

This is a good wine.  I would have liked a touch more acid and a touch more tannin, but it’s still quite enjoyable.

Wine: Sebastiani Sonoma County
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $14.97

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