2021 Norma Jeane

Winemaker Notes:

There is an enjoyable intensity and complexity of aromas with bright raspberry, strawberries, cherry, cedar, and hints of nutmeg.  The flavors mimic the aromas with added hints of rose pedals and orange blossoms.

The wine has good structure along with good weight and richness on the palate paired with a silkiness and balanced tannins that spread evenly from entry to the long enjoyable finish.

The 2021 Norma Jeane Merlot benefits from small additions of Petit Verdot and Petite Syrah that add wonderful color, nice weight on the palate, and added complexity of aromas and flavors.   

The 2021 vintage was another good vintage with consistent warm temperatures through the growing season, and few heat spikes, that translated into a nice maturity of flavors at harvest.

Our idea with the Norma Jeane is for it to be the younger, more youthful, styled wine as compared to the Marilyn Merlot.

To achieve this style, we purposely age in oak only a few months and bottle usually within 6 months of harvesting.  This aging purposely gives up a little complexity in exchange for a lively, bright, fruit forward youthful wine.

The Photograph:

In 1946. Bruno Bernard first saw Marilyn outside his dentist’s office on Sunset Boulevard. He gave her his card and said, "Miss, this is strictly professional. I’d like to take some photo tests of you."  And this photo is the result. This is her first studio sitting