Raphael Merlot 2013 750ml

Pickup in-store and get 8% off (not applicable to sale items). Delivery ($60min) within 2 miles of store. Shipping prices are subject to change based on actual cost. We will contact for approval before shipping. we cannot ship to AL, AK, AR, DE, HI, IL, IA, KY, MD ME, MI, MS, MT, NM, ND, OK, PA, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI


$14.03

Estate Merlot is an elegant, structured wine with bright fruit aromas, a medium body and balanced acidity. Hand harvested, wild fermented and bottled unfiltered and un-fined. Showing notes of blackberries, graphite and black olive, blend with fine tannins and contribute to a lingering finish.

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SKU: 7-27855 Categories: , , Tags: , , ,

Description

The winemaking philosophy is based on an understanding of the cycle of nature, the climate and soil, the ripeness of the grapes and the success of time-honored techniques. Utilizing gravity flow and a natural winemaking philosophy, Raphael wines are produced sustainably, utilizing controlled fermentation with little fining and filtration resulting in wines that purely express our local terroir. Our mission is to produce ripe, fruit-driven wines that exhibit a marriage of depth, finesse, elegance, and balance – the flavors of the North Fork – provided first by the terroir and secondly, by the dedicated, impassioned attention of our winemaking team.

The winery was designed by John Petrocelli who was inspired by the Italian monasteries of his ancestral home. Our production facility blends classic Mediterranean architecture with modern winemaking equipment. By building the winery 12 feet underground we are not only able to make our wines using a gentle gravity-flow method, but were able to construct a very energy efficient building using the earth’s natural 55F temperature to cool the winery in the summer and warm it in the winter.

Throughout the seasons, the devoted vineyard staff carries out the rigorous work of caring for the vines. Our vineyard manager Stephen Mudd, is dedicated to sustainable agriculture, safeguarding the quality of the wine and raising it to its utmost perfection. Stephen brings over 30 years of experience in managing vineyards and is considered one of the pioneers of Long Island grape growing. Most of the work is done by hand, year-round; from pruning to leaf pulling. The ancient practice of fruit thinning is carried out during the summer and fall. Approximately half of our crop is sacrificed every year to insure that the remaining fruit will reach the ultimate peak of ripeness. Raphael is one of the few wine estates in the United States that harvest entirely by hand. Work carries on until the carefully chosen moment-when the harvest starts and the grapes are gathered by hand in the traditional and time-honored way. Nothing but the best fruit makes it into our wine.

Additional information

Weight 2 lbs
Vintage Notes:

2013 started out with a cold winter, a very late spring and bud break a full month behind 2012. A wet June turned into an overall cool summer. By the end of August we were weeks behind in the vineyard and behind in overall ripeness. However, as nature has a way of balancing out, we ended up with a very warm and dry Fall that allowed us to catch up quickly on sugar levels and the cool nights helped to retain acidity giving us a great natural balance in the grapes. Also, we experienced one of the driest falls on record with over 50 days without precipitation. We watched nervously, dogging a bullet each time a storm came up the coast or across the country and broke up over Long Island. But without precipitation and any notable disease pressure we were able to harvest each grape variety at our leisure and at its peak. The wines from 2013 show exceptional natural balance and full ripeness which has made us excited about the quality and the future longevity of the 2013 Vintage!

Winemakers Notes:

Vintage 2013
Style Red
Blend 100% Merlot
Aged Stainless Steel

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