Corbett Canyon Merlot 1.5 L

The earthy and leafy aromas are akin to Chilean Merlot. The plum flavors are attractive but there's also an indistinct berry/tomato taste that lowers the bar. A smooth, round, carefree wine better geared to casual parties than contemplative sipping.\n \n Producer Information\n Corbett Canyon was originally called Lawrence Winery when it was built in 1979. In 1981 it was purchased by Glenmore Distilleries and renamed. Although Corbett Canyon has no vineyards, it is a large modern winery capable of producing more than 400,000 cases per year. Its wine quality is certainly below Kendall-Jackson quality, but is often good enough to win medals and best-buy awards. Corbett Canyon also comes with the Shadow Creek line of sparkling wines. Most are made by the expensive French methode champenoise, and some have been exquisite. Recent vintages have been good, but also not up to Kendall-Jackson in quality. When asked about his goal, Jackson replies that he is not goal oriented, but "opportunistic." He does, however, plan to reach a production of 500,000 cases in the near future. That would make him one of the largest U.S. wineries. In 1987, before the Corbett Canyon acquisition, Kendall-Jackson produced 140,000 cases of chardonnay (the new acquisitions are primarily chardonnay), 25,000 cases of sauvignon blanc, 20,000 cases of cabernet sauvignon, and 15,000 cases of riesling, zinfandel, moscat canelli and late-harvest sauvignon blanc.