The Fableist Merlot Reserve 395
Since 2012, the core source for the Fableist Merlot has been the Hinterland vineyard in north Paso along the Salinas river bottom. The family that planted the ranch in the early 90’s nailed it on site selection. Merlot on the upper more clay portion of the ranch brings power to the softer Merlot fruit. Typically, the Merlot from Hinterland will almost taste the same from year to year as the specific soil types bring things into harmony. 6 barrels of Merlot were picked from the cellar which all happened to be 2nd fill American oak barrels. By being the second fill it keeps the oak character just subdued enough for perfect balance, it spends 18 months in the barrels.
VARIETAL
100% Merlot