Merlot
NY - North Fork of Long Island
““Best Red Wine” - 2021 New York Wine Classic
“Best Red Blend” - 2021 New York Wine Classic
Our Assemblage is only crafted during exceptional vintages. The 2015 Assemblage is dense and round, with intense aromas of cassis, black berry, cedar and spice. Medium to full-bodied, a firm tannin structure and a long finish.
“The 2015 Assemblage is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot (about as low as my records indicate), 13% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot, all aged for 28 months in 16% new French oak, the rest neutral. It comes in at 13.5% alcohol. This is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wine this year, with little Merlot impact, largely due to a virus attacking some of the Merlot vines that normally would go into the Assemblage, said Kareem Massoud. Although Long Island is particularly famed for Merlot, Paumanok is one of the region's better Cabernet Sauvignon producers. I'm not sure I'd say this is an improvement over the normal blend, but it's still a very good wine. It seemed a bit compact on opening, but then it sang prettier songs with air (including re-tasting it the next day). It's bright, fresh, balanced and focused. It's a little tight just now, but that just means it needs a little more cellaring or aeration. The next day, it was much better, more expressive and able to flesh out a bit in the glass. I still think it is worth leaning up on this, but it does have some things to prove in the cellar. Leave it there for another couple of years, at least, for best results.” - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 90+ points, February 28, 2020
