Country: US / Straight de Barrel
Variety: Merlot California
Winery: HammerSky / Paso Robles
This squat bottle comes, indeed, straight from the barrel with no filtering, and works quite well. Bright and plump purple fruits mix with vanilla and a tickling acidity on the nose. The palate shows juicy cherry fruit as well as blackberry and blueberry, with richness from vanilla and caramel. The tannins are a bit tough, but rugged in the right ways.