Francis Coppola Director's Sonoma County Merlot 2014

Francis Ford Coppola actually has three families of wines. Each with its own characteristics. The Diamond collection are actually the entry wines and are among the most popular wines from Coppola. The Directors Cut series is the top series from Coppola. The most beautiful fruit, a long education and a relatively limited supply and from relatively small areas. The Director series is the middle segment and for us personally one of the nicest series. Like the Directors Cut, the wines come from Sonoma, but the Director series came into existence when the winemaker started to create a series of wines that had to reflect his own artistic interpretation of the Sonoma County appellation. The Director's wines come with fruit from various Sonoma County vineyards, each with its own climate and terroir. The wines from the Directors series are characterized by lush, ripe fruit, a light silky texture and soft, supple tannins. The wines from Coppola's Director's demonstrate Sonoma County's unique character and style.

The Coppola Sonoma Coast Director's Merlot comes from vineyards fairly close to the Pacific. The region is known for the influx of daily mist and sea breeze which contributes to the complexity of this wine and is a gift from nature. The wine has been raised for 11 months on oak: 75% French oak, 25% American oak, 20% new oak. We can call this a Californian Bordeaux wine. The Sonoma merlot is a blend of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc. The Coppola Sonoma Coast Director's Merlot has a velvety taste infused with red and black fruit. In the nose with beautiful tones aromas raspberries, berries and pomegranate layered with notes of roasted wood, vanilla and cinnamon. Smooth tannins and a velvety mouthfeel with a light pepperiness and fresh berry fruit ending with a smooth and beautiful finish. A great glass of wine and an ideal companion for grilled spare ribs, chicken, lamb, goulash or a pasta dish with meat sauce.