We originally had no intention of making En Passant. Every year, after final blending, we have a little wine left over which we typically sell in bulk to other wineries. But, our Merlot in 2012 was so compelling that we decided to bottle it – in magnums only. We called the wine En Passant – a chess move that literally means “in passing” – since we had never outright intended to make the wine, but did so “in passing”.

The wine may change every year, and it may not be offered every year. It depends on what is compelling that year. This 2022 release is our 5th iteration of En Passant.

En Passant is not a wine of power but rather of elegance and nuanced delicacy. The bouquet is riveting, with notes of black cherry, blackberry, crushed stones, red plum, lead pencil, and gravel. On the palate, there is a great combination of vibrancy, suppleness, and texture. There are notes of red plum, black raspberry, cassis, aged cigar tobacco, nutmeg, sage, leather, incense, and anise. There is substantial fruit, balanced with crisp acidity and an underlying silky tannic structure. The long length of the palate finishes with precise tones of black cherry, dried herbs, and rose petal. Properly cellared, this wine should hit maturity in 7-9 years and gracefully evolve for 15+ years.