Deterts Reserve Merlot - 2017 (750ml)

The 2017 Reserve Merlot was aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak and comes in at 13.3% alcohol. This was sourced from Williams Gap Vineyard in western Loudoun County, about two miles west of the Middleburg AVA. The vines are at an elevation near 600 feet in altitude. Bright and elegant, this is a refined Merlot that shows some oak tinge, but it mostly handles that extremely well. The tannins are ripe, so you can drink this right now. Its mid-palate has finesse and the finish lingers nicely. It's sunny, refreshing and vibrant. A perfect food wine, this will be a pleasure to drink. It is very appealing right now. The only question here is whether it has the structure to age and develop. It needs to do that to justify my enthusiasm. That's not as clear, but it is worth leaning up today, as it is completely satisfying and serious. Rocky Deterts's project is in northern Virginia, started in 2017. This is his debut in our pages. His self-written bio goes like this: "Before then, I had spent almost four years traveling, learning winemaking at The Napa Valley Reserve, Bodega Monteviejo (three harvests), Chateau Le Gay (2010) and Dana Estates. I came back to the East Coast in 2013 to be closer to family and look for new challenges in winemaking/viticulture. I was the assistant winemaker at Dodon Vineyards in Maryland for two years and then decided to go on my own and create my own label." He made three 2017 Merlots, one of which is a rosé, and he says one is "a young Merlot in which I took all of the press fractions and combined them to age in a used French oak barrel for a year, then bottled unfiltered and no fining." This is the Reserve—"all free run that aged for 18 months in 50% new and 50% used French oak, unfiltered and no fining. Only four barrels (95 cases) were made." From the Winemkaer: We bottled just under 4 barrels, or roughly 98 cases, with no filtering. This wine consists of 95% free run and 5% pressed wine, all fermented in barrel. We aged it for 18 months in 50% new and 50% used French oak barrels. The Merlot tastes of rich and savory dark red fruits, followed by hints of spice. The silky tannins help create elegance and length on the palate.
Wine Advocate - 90 points