Ironstone Merlot is a California red wine that is appreciated for its rich and complex flavor. This full-bodied Merlot offers notes of black cherry, plum, and vanilla on the nose, while the palate is filled with flavors of dark fruit, chocolate, and oak. This wine carries a smooth texture and a long finish, making it a perfect fit for a grilled steak or hearty pasta dish. Made from the finest grapes grown in the Lodi region, Ironstone Merlot is perfect for both casual and formal occasions. Its versatility and elegance make it a favorite for wine enthusiasts and novices alike.

Tasting Notes

Our Merlot is bursting with luscious fruit and soft tannins with excellent drinkability. Rich, ripe black cherry and black plums lead to a hint of vanilla and toast. Flavors of currants with juicy dark fruit and spicy cedar end with a rounded, well-balanced and complex finish.

About the Winery

Ironstone Vineyards is run by the second and third generation of the Kautz family, who settled in the Lodi area of California but traced their roots to Germany. John Kautz, the owner and Chairman of Ironstone Vineyards, started out farming vegetables but shifted to viniculture with the establishment of the Bear Creek Winery and planting the first set of wines in 1968. Ironstone Vineyards was developed and built in the 1980s. Solid rock was blasted to create ten thousand square feet of underground caves. Ironstone Vineyard was finally opened in 1990 and now sees every member of the Kautz family involved in the business.

Ironstone Vineyards is not the only winemaking concern of the Kautz family. The family owns other winemaking brands like Drifting Wines, Granite Hill Cellars, Leaping Horse Vineyards, Obsession and Stone Valley California.

Ironstone Vineyards proudly presents a wide range of wines, some of which include:

2018 Limited Release Verdelho: Made entirely from Verdelho, only 150 bottles of this wine have been produced. The wine contains notes of tangerine, nutmeg, pineapple, honeydew and d’anjou pears, along with the scents of pineapple, lemon, spice and citrus. This medium-bodied wine has a long finish. The ideal combination for Verdelho would be chicken and light fish dishes.

2019 Obsession Red Blend: The wine contains 40% Merlot, 40% Zinfandel and 20% Petite Sirah. The aroma of the wine blends well with its spiciness. The cloves, nutmeg, chocolate and vanilla beans make way for blueberry, chocolate, plum and mint flavors. The wine is well-balanced and has a bold and lengthy finish. The Obsession Red Blend goes well with multiple cuisines but tastes well with grilled meat, roasted vegetable stew or pasta with mushrooms.

2019 Reserve Cabernet Franc: The wine has a tasting profile of 85% Cabernet, 8% Petite Sirah, 4% Zinfandel and 3% Cabernet Franc. Elegance, richness and softness define the wine and it contains blackberry, spicy oak, fleshy black cherry scents. The Cabernet Franc used in the wine makes it ideal for both immediate consumption or further aging. The wine’s palate is flavored with plum, black cherry and sweet oak and has a smooth finish. The wine is best served with meat dishes and with starters.

https://www.ironstonevineyards.com

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