R. Merlo Estate Vineyards Syrah (5)

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

“Welcome to the show.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Tell me, are you happy overall with the HBO series based on your wine?”

“Yes, I am. Honestly, I had a lot of trepidation about the idea of a wine-based television in the first place. I just couldn’t picture it. But the terrific production team really brought the ripe berry flavors of the wine to life on-screen.”

“The screenplay hardly deviates from the source at all. Was that a surprise?””It was. I was really expecting that the original would get hacked up to appeal to a television audience, but not at all. It follows the same tasting notes from the tip of the tongue to the back of the palate. Really astonishing.”

“And what has been the biggest surprise since the release?”

“The audience reaction, I think. You’ve got people who were never interested in fantasy wines before who are now deeply invested. It’s really exciting.”

“Mr. Merlo, thank you so much for joining us. This was a very enjoyable parallel to what an interview with George R. R. Martin would be like.”

“I agree. That’s definitely what this was. And thank YOU, Charlie Tulip.” 

• Production: 1,500 Cases
• Bottling Date: September, 2009
• Alcohol: 14.4%
• Residual Sugar: 0.2%
• Total Acid:  .60 g / 100 ml
• pH:  3.58
• Aging: 18 months in 50% French, 50% American oak (20% new oak)
• Grape Source: Hyampom Valley Ranch, Trinity County, CA

Woot