Deep ruby color; cherry, plum, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, tobacco, jasmine, smoke, earth, oak, spice on the nose and palate.
Dry; gentle but firm merlot tannins with good acidity (3.65 pH). Medium body. Rich, smooth, nicely refined California merlot touches all the lush, drinkable bases you anticipate. Good length and some complexity, but mostly is pure merlot play. That will please many, others may long for nuances of red wine blends with merlot playing a significant role. Not this. If you want merlot, then with this you get merlot. 14.5% ABV
Wine spent 18 months in oak barrels. The winery does not state how many were new, nor if it was American or French oak. My guess, given that oak is not overpowering element, it was all or mostly French and only some was new.
Lured by the allure of wine and motivated by embrace of new challenges, French entrepreneurs and philanthropists Jean and Sylviane Leducq purchased land in the St. Helena area of Napa in the mid-1980s. In the manner of a French châteaux, they methodically acquired adjacent property to assemble today’s 42-acre, organically farmed estate. Bernard Ehlers, the original owner, built a stone barn in 1886 that is the heart of the operation today.
The Leducqs through The Leducq Charitable Trust passed on management of their operation to Laura Díaz Muñoz. Originally from Madrid, when she took the reins, Díaz committed to taking Ehlers into its next generation, including focused farming that includes some replanting. She also experiments with a variety of vessels for cellaring and aging. She was the winemaker for this effort. Adam Castro is the head winemaker today, becoming head winemaker in 2023.
The Ehlers vineyards are located in an up-valley location in the St. Helena AVA. The location provides ideal ripening conditions with the narrowing channel of the Vaca and Mayacamas mountains delivering cooling winds to promote freshness, balance, and finesse.
Ehlers Estate Merlot, St. Helena 2021: Pure merlot play. Softer tannins, good acidity. Juicy, bright with ability to age. Quality merlot from quality maker. Pair with roasted chicken, duck, turkey; roasted rack of lamb; beef—braised short ribs, meatloaf, cheeseburger; pork—baby back ribs, Italian sausages; pasta dishes with tomato-based sauces, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs; roasted squash, red peppers, beets; stuffed vegan portobello mushrooms. Cheese—sharp or aged cheddar, smoke or aged gouda, manchego, brie, camembert, gorgonzola, parmigiano-reggiano, goat cheeses. $80-90
