2005 Merlot

Case Production

1442 cases

Blend and Vineyard Sources

• 86% Merlot
  • 23% Weinbau Vineyard (Wahluke Slope)
  • 22% Tapteil Vineyard (Red Mountain)
  • 15% DuBrul Vineyard (Rattlesnake Hills)
  • 13% Seven Hills Vineyard (Walla Walla Valley)
  • 13% Dionysus Vineyard (Columbia Valley)
• 7% Cabernet Sauvignon
  • DuBrul Vineyard
• 5%   Cabernet Franc
  • Destiny Ridge (Horse Heaven Hills)
• 2% Malbec
  • Gamache Brothers (Columbia Valley)
    

Analysis

• pH – 3.63
• Total Acidity – 0.61
• Alcohol – 14.32

Cooperage

60% new oak, the majority of which is American oak with the remaining mostly French oak and some Hungarian oak, all chosen from select coopers and a wide variety of forests.  The wine was on oak for 16 months.

Winemaking

Crushed gently and dropped by gravity into 1.5 ton bins, cold soaked 48 hours minimum, then inoculated with a variety of yeasts, hand-punched and pressed directly to barrel where the wine finishes both primary and secondary fermentations.

Vintage

A wonderful year of dry growing and ripening conditions allowing for the complete command of the vineyard by the viticulturist and winemaker.  The wine shows great extraction, ripeness, balance and length.

Tasting Notes

Firm and focused on the palate this is one big Merlot. The flavors are almost piercing in their intensity with loads of classic dark cherry and ripe berry that lingers and becomes more intriguing in the mouth with the rich tannins.