Godwin Family Vineyards Merlot 2005

Yesterday, we reviewed the Godwin Family Vineyards 2004 Merlot and we found it to be quite impressive.  “The wine does a nice job of mimicking a Pomerol, but with a traditional California style all it’s own”, is what I said of that wine.  You can read more on the 2004, but it’s time to review the 2005.  Does it offer the same experience as the 2004?  Let’s find out.

I was expecting a balanced wine offering smooth, lush tannins, well integrated with a core of plum fruit that is typical of California merlot.  For the most part the Godwin 2005 did not disappoint, but it didn’t quite live up to the lofty expectations set by it’s predecessor.

Throughout my initial sampling of the 2005, the wine put out some hints of ammonia; although, this dissipated as the wine had time to open up.  Ammonia can be an indication of some extra nitrogen from the fermentation process.  It’s not unusual in some vintages for nitrogen levels to be supplemented.  When the fermentation process becomes “stuck” or sluggish, due to low nitrogen levels, some winemakers may add a supplement such as di-ammonium phospate (DAP), which is an ammonium source.  The result is accelerated fermentation, but with the potential of some off-putting aromas.

Now, this is not to suggest that this is what caused these aromas.  It’s simply one potential explanation.  The point here is that some aromas in fine wine, (or odors as others may choose to refer to them) stem from the winemaking process, and given appropriate time to aerate, wines are capable of shedding these aromas and providing a perfectly fine wine experience.  And this was certainly the case with the Godwin 2005.

It has all the great balance and structure of the 2004, but with less intensity.  The fruit is also there, but again with less intensity.  It offers a different aroma structure than the 2004, which was more fruit dominant, but the 2005 is still nuanced and complex.  So while I rated the 2005 highly, it doesn’t rate as highly as the 2004.  Nature made the 2004 very good.  Winemakers made the 2005 very good.  But when it comes to winemaking, nature always wins.

A  Salute!

Wine: Godwin Family Vineyards
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 14.8%
Rating: 88
Price: $35.00

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.