Merlot 'Drago Rosso' Paladin 2022
The Merlot "Drago Rosso" by Paladin is a Friulian red wine made from the famous Bordeaux grape, aged in steel and oak wood for about 6 months: it presents itself with an intense ruby red color and expresses varietal aromas of ripe red fruit, cocoa, and spices, while on the palate it is intense and velvety, with light tannins and moderate freshness.
The Merlot “Drago Rosso” expresses the classic and harmonious style that characterizes the labels of the Paladin winery. The estate is located in Annone Veneto, on the border with Friuli Venezia Giulia and about twenty kilometers from the Adriatic coast. The particularly mild climate, which is already influenced by the breezes of the Adriatic Sea, and the soils composed of limestone and clay, called caranto, are particularly suitable for red grape varieties and especially for Merlot, which expresses itself at interesting qualitative levels, with a wine rich and soft with intense aromas of ripe fruit.
The “Drago Rosso” is a pure Merlot that originates in the lands of the deep Venetian countryside. The Paladin family has managed a large estate for several generations, where the most famous international grape varieties, present in the area for centuries, are mainly cultivated. The wine comes from a selection of the best bunches from the most suitable vineyards of the estate, particularly those perfectly exposed to the south, which always ensure excellent ripening of the grapes. The harvest takes place during a phase of slight overripening, in order to achieve a remarkable sugar richness and a good aromatic concentration. Fermentation is initiated in temperature-controlled steel tanks, with a maceration period on the skins of about three weeks. Before bottling, the wine matures in barrel and completes its aging with a few months in bottle.
Merlot “Drago Rosso” by Paladin represents very well the Venetian face of the great Bordeaux grape variety and its enveloping and soft charm, typical of its seductive aromatic profile. Visually, it presents a rather dark ruby red color. Elegant and intense, on the nose it seduces with aromas of blackberry, cherry, blueberry, hints of underbrush, ripe red-fleshed fruit, delicate hints of spices, herbal and balsamic notes. On the palate, it has a good structure, with a fine and evolved tannic texture, well integrated with rich and enveloping fruity aromas. The finish is harmonious and balanced, with a pleasantly fresh closure.