A wine named for winemaker Yannick Rousseau’s grandfather, whom he called Pépé and who loved Merlot. This fruit was organically farmed on the western slopes of Mt. Veeder at 2,000 feet of elevation. It’s fermented with ambient yeasts and barrel-aged for 18 months in French oak, half new.
It’s a shiny jewel of red fruits. There is currant, cranberry, a breeze of wintergreen herbs. The texture is dominated by acidity and the squeak of drying, fruit-skin tannins. The oak flavors linger behind. Right now it’s kind of young and wound up, but good with vegetables and light meats, poultry, medium aged cheeses.
14.2% abv | $50 (sample)
