Nose
The nose is full of Washington blueberries, dark chocolate, cedar, and elegant blended
fruit complexity with a balanced weight and texture.
Palate
The merlot dominates the palate with
full fruit, beetroot, and plentiful and dusty tannins.
Growing Conditions
From its twenty year history, this is the
greatest vintage from Conner Lee Vineyard. Youthful but accessible now, the intense fruit,
balanced oak and tannin, will allow this wine to age ten years or more.
Harvest
The Champoux Vineyard cabernet franc was hand-harvested on September 28th, at full
grape maturity. The vines grew eight pounds per plant. The cabernet franc measured
25.5°brix, 3.50 pH, and 5.0 g/L acid as fresh fruit. The merlot was handpicked from
Conner Lee Vineyard on September 23rd, measuring 25.1°brix, 3.61 pH, and 6.5 g/L
acid as fresh fruit. The vines grew 5.5 pounds per plant.
Bottling
November of 2003.
Winemaking
Open vessel fermented, hand punched down and aerated during ferment, the wines
finished sugar and malolactic ferment in barrels.
Aging
Aged entirely in traditional French
chateau barrels, 50% new, for 15 months, the wines were blended, eggwhite-fined and
then bottled.
