CHRIS CORLEY WINES | Napa Valley
S54 E11 | A Lifetime in the Making
International Edition | Mexico 🇲🇽
Valle de Guadalupe, Baja

2015 | Ten Year Retrospectives

CASA BALOYAN | Merlot
Estate Grown | Valle de Guadalupe, Baja
95 points [2015]

⏳ One of the great pleasures of a life in wine is to revisit vintages past. I’ve always greatly enjoyed the ten year tasting. Many of the wines I’ve made over the decades are in a wonderful ‘sweet spot’ of aging at ten years. They still have aspects of their youthful dark fruit and robust tannins, yet a softer patina is settling in on the midpalate and finish, the tertiary flavors that only time can develop are beginning to settle in.

🍇 IN RETROSPECT : 2015 was a great vintage in Valle de Guadalupe, Baja … it was a hot, dry growing season. Our harvest was early, with small, concentrated berries resulting in powerful, round wines. These wines are aging beautfully now, and while I consider them in a ‘sweet spot’ right now, I recommend the 2015 lineup from Baja be enjoyed within the next few years.

🍇 🇲🇽 RANCHO BALOYAN : This rancho was founded by Erik Baloyan around 2000, with the original vineyard planted shortly after, emcompassng roughly 40 acres of classic bordelais varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The first vintage of winemaking was 2006, and I’m honored to have made every vintage since this early beginning. This is an isolated, rugged, and naturally beautiful ranch with a terrific well-equipped lodge onsite available for visitors.

Rancho Baloyan Lodge
http://www.bajavineyardlodge.com

🍷🇲🇽 MERLOT 2025 : We’ve pressed out all of the 2025 Merlot in Baja. As is typical for the wines from this vineyard post-fermentation … this wine is , round and soft in structure, juicy fruit and framed by modest tannins. It will age in french oak barrels for 22 months, racked several times to clear sediments, and allow it to breathe. The 2025 wines will be released in Spring 2028.

🍷🇲🇽 MERLOT 2015 : I recently enjoyed this wine from the libary. We decanted about 30 minutes ahead of time. It was smooth and well balanced, the fruit has aged gracefully and the tannins are wonderfully smooth. Terrific red and blue berry aromas and flavors, with a rich round texture. The modest oak in the background added subtle layers of texture and richness.

Casa Baloyan Estate Winery
http://www.casabaloyan.com

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Chris Corley Wines
http://www.chriscorley.wine