Drink (and think) like a somm
Michael Shaps
Merlot
Virginia
Monticello
Merlot 100%
Dark Cherry, Black Cassis, Plum, Clove
20 Months
Neutral French Oak
100%
ABOUT
Michael Shaps 2023 Merlot
The 2023 Merlot is not blended with any other grape, and is instead a 100% varietal wine this year. It is balanced enough by itself, and showcases a wonderful medium-bodied yet rich wine. Notes of dark cherry, plum, and cassis are present on the nose, and complemented with some spice notes on the palate.
Elevated acidity with soft, medium tannins make this wine very approachable and perfect for all sorts of pairings. This would be a great bottle to pair with leaner cuts of beef like sirloin, filet, or flank steak.
Enjoyable now, but can be cellared for about 4-6 years.
PAIRINGS
IN A PINCH
Lean, grilled meats and soft cheeses.
DEEPER DIVE
This Merlot maintains its signature soft mouthfeel, with rich, dark fruit flavors playing the lead role. Medium-plus acidity and soft tannins provide a firm structure without dominating the palate.
Lean cuts of meat like beef, pork, or lamb are going to be best here, especially if grilled, since the tannins are a bit restrained.
This wine can also play a role in the main course or for apps, and is going to be a great option for charcuterie and cheese plates since its medium-plus body will allow it to pair nicely with such a wide range of choices.
STANDOUT FEATURES: Dark fruit, soft mouthfeel, smooth tannins.
PAIRING SCALE
STEER CLEAR
Anything too rich like stews and sauces might be too much for this wine. Conversely, lighter fare like fish will be easily overpowered.
CHEESE OPTIONS
Stilton
Stilton
Country: England
Animal: Cow
Type: Strong, funky
Texture: Hard
Style: Full-bodied, tangy
Taleggio
Taleggio
Country: Italy
Animal: Cow
Type: Soft
Texture: Creamy
Style: Mild, sweet, aromatic
Chèvre
Chèvre
Country: France
Animal: Goat
Type: Soft
Texture: Creamy, crumbly
Style: Acidic, salty, tangy
RECIPE IDEAS
SERVICE
WHICH GLASSES?
Large Bordeaux or All-purpose glasses would be best.
BORDEAUX
BURGUNDY
FLUTE
COUPE
ALL-PURPOSE
WHITE
DESSERT
SHOULD I DECANT THIS?
WHY “Probably”?
Just because it’s a varietal wine doesn’t mean it doesn’t need time to breathe. There’s a lot of depth in this wine, and it only gets better the longer it’s exposed to air.
HOW LONG?
Generally you would want to decant a younger wine for longer to help it open up and be cautious of exposing older wines to oxygen for too long. There are always exceptions of course, but this is a pretty good rule to follow.
Minutes to decant this bottle:
Year opened
SERVING TEMP
The correct serving temperature is important to show a wine’s true potential, but don’t stress over getting the temp exactly right. Use the chart below to try to get in the right ballpark.
AGING
WHEN SHOULD I OPEN THIS?
If a wine has been released by the producer, it means it is ready to drink. Wines don’t necessarily get “better” with age, they just change. Typically, this change involves things like losing fresh fruit flavors in exchange for more savory notes.
The moment you should open the bottle depends on your preference, so it’s more important to understand the evolution and the life span of the bottle than it is to try to time its opening perfectly. (It’s far better to open a bottle too early than too late.)
This bottle should probably be opened between:
2026 – 2030
Development
NERD STUFF
TECHNICAL NOTES
pH: 3.53
TA: 6.68 grams/L
Alc: 13.7%
RS: 0.02%
Bottled: July 18, 2025
Cases Produced: 124
VINEYARD NOTES
All the fruit for this varietal merlot is sourced from our more recent plantings at the Honah Lee vineyard which were planted in 2019 and is located in the Monticello AVA. The vineyard is planted on Davidson Clay soil on a slope with southeastern exposure.
WINEMAKING NOTES
All of our Merlot is hand harvested and transferred to the winery for cooling prior to de-stemming and partial crushing. The grapes are cold soaked for 48 hours. We do not use any commercial yeast strains, but rather create a starter from its own juice during the cold maceration process. During the fermentation, we conduct pump-overs twice daily until the end of fermentation and continue to extend the maceration for several weeks with daily pump-overs.
After pressing and settling, the wine is transferred to French oak barrels of which 100% are neutral oak. After malolactic fermentation is completed during the barrel aging process, the wine is racked and aged for a total of 20 months before bottling. This wine goes into bottle unfiltered and in most years, un-fined as well.
PRODUCER
ABOUT US
Founded in 2007, Michael Shaps Wineworks is located in the former Montdomaine Winery, twelve miles south of Charlottesville, Virginia. The original concept was to use the facility for production of the existing Michael Shaps brand of wines, and to produce a second brand called Wineworks, a more value-oriented line of Virginia wines.
Within the first year the opportunity arose to develop Virginia’s first contract winemaking operation–more commonly known as custom crush–to make wine for independent growers who want their own brand. Found in many wine regions around the world, this previously untapped market became a focus for Wineworks.
Between 2008-2014 the customer base grew to over twenty contract winemaking clients and the facility grew in size and capacity, requiring two expansions. Wineworks quickly became a regional leader for contract winemaking, serving clients from Tennessee to Delaware.
Michael ShapsWhen Michael’s founding partner left in 2014, he brought in investors to expand the winery facility to increase production capacity to 30,000 cases of wine and changed the name from Virginia Wineworks to Michael Shaps Wineworks. In 2015 the processing volume reached 430 tons (approximately 28,000 cases) and the 2017 harvest brought in over 500 tons.
OUR VINEYARDS
Our Vineyard sites have been chosen and cultivated with care, thinking about the current vintages as well as future vintages. We believe that great wines start in the field, without great fruit, we cannot achieve great wine.
HONAH LEE
Located in Gordonsville, VA, Honah Lee Vineyard is our primary vineyard site.
WILD MEADOW
Wild Meadow Vineyard has been highly acclaimed as one of the best chardonnay sites in the state.
MICHAEL SHAPS ESTATE
Michael Shaps Estate Vineyard
The Harris Creek Road property has been planted to vineyard since the early 1990s.
Interested in joining our wine club?
Membership Benefits:
- 4 shipments per year: February, May, September, December
- 30% discount on all Wine Club shipments
- 20% discount on all other wine bottle purchases–both online and in tasting rooms
- Complimentary wine tastings for two (limit 2 per membership) at the winery of either Virginia or Burgundy wines, depending on your club each time you visit the winery
- 20% off wine flights at Wineworks Extended each time you visit
- Discounted tickets to many special events
- Access to pre-release & “library” wines not available to the public
- Tickets for two (limit 2 per membership) to the quarterly Wine Club Pickup parties, held in February, May, September, December
