I had the pleasure of interviewing Ivo Jeramaz on my last visit to Napa Valley. He’s the nephew of winemaking legend, Mike Grgich and has taken the lead in much of the wineries day-to-day operations along with Mike’s daughter, Violet. Ivo is a quiet and thoughtful in his speech—and his wines seem to reflect this. The 2012 Merlot is carmine-hued, and is more transparent than most Merlot’s I’ve encountered from Napa Valley. It possesses a kind of quiet restraint and lovely finesse with nuanced aromas of red currant, pie cherries, dried herbs and underbrush intertwining fine tannins a tart acidity. 14.0% ABV | Sample
9.0 Points