Merlot Reserva - Alto de la Ballena

Merlot Reserva - Alto de la BallenaAlto de la Ballena Merlot Reserva from Maldonado shows a dense purple color in the glass. With a little side lay, the Bordeaux glass reveals a charming garnet red hue at the rims. If you give it some air in the wine glass by swirling it, this red wine reveals a high density and fullness, which shows in church windows at the rim of the glass. To the nose, this Alto de la Ballena red wine shows all sorts of plum musts. As if that were not already impressive, the aging in small wooden barrels adds other aromas such as vanilla, tobacco and black cherry. The Alto de la Ballena Merlot Reserva presents itself to the wine drinker pleasantly dry. This red wine is never coarse or meager, but round and smooth. On the tongue, this powerful red wine is characterized by an incredibly melting texture. Due to its lively fruit acidity, the Merlot Reserva reveals itself wonderfully fresh and lively on the palate. In the finish, this mature wine from the wine-growing region of Maldonado finally inspires with exceptional length. Once again, hints of plum jam appear. In the aftertaste, mineral notes of the slate-dominated soils join in. Vinification of the Merlot Reserva from Alto de la Ballena The powerful Merlot Reserva from Uruguay is a single varietal wine made from the Merlot grape variety. In Maldonado, the vines that produce the grapes for this wine grow on soils of slate. Due to the balancing influence of the nearby sea, the grapes ripen more slowly and develop more aromatic complexity. When the perfect physiological ripeness is assured, the grapes for the Merlot Reserva are harvested exclusively by hand without the use of punishing and hardly selective machines. After the harvest, the grapes are immediately sent to the winery. Here they are sorted and carefully broken up. Then fermentation takes place in small wood at controlled temperatures. After the end of fermentation, the powerful Merlot Reserva is aged for another 12 months in French oak barriques. Food recommendation for Alto de la Ballena Merlot Reserva This red wine from Uruguay is best enjoyed at a temperature of 15 - 18°C. It goes perfectly as an accompanying wine to potato pan with salmon, vegetable stew with pesto or pasta with sausage dumplings.