Nose
Raspberry, plum, and black cherry, accented by crushed roses, pencil shavings, and smoky cedar nuances
Palate
This full-bodied, vigorous Merlot bursts with flavors of macerated berries, coffee, and kirsch. Charming and ripe, it firms up to finish with a satisfying longevity.
Growing Conditions
Vineyards: Estate Seven Hills, Estate Ferguson, Pepper Bridge, Candy Mountain, Dionysus, & Klipsun
Harvest
The 2018 Vintage was perfectly dry harvest weather extended hang-time resulting in rich color and vibrant fruit flavors, another great vintage for Washington State. A late bud-break in mid-April was followed by a warm May with rapid canopy growth. A quick, even bloom set a uniform crop. A cool June contributed to healthy berry growth. July and early August were warm, with occasional heat spikes. Canopies were managed to avoid sunburn and irrigation was micromanaged. Intense cluster thinning was required to control yields. Veraison tracked 2017 in Walla Walla and was slightly ahead in other regions of the state. A brief rainfall shifted early September into cooler weather leading to two months of near-perfect weather conditions for final fruit maturity. Higher sugars were balanced against higher acid levels and wonderfully intense color and tannin extraction, big fruit flavors, and overall balanced structure. Another strong Washington vintage.
Bottling
February 18-19, 2020
Winemaking
Each lot was hand-harvested ripe and gently crushed into 1.5 and 5 ton stainless steel fermenters. Gentle handling of the fruit through hand punch downs and gravity-assisted movements were utilized throughout the entire winemaking process. The wine was cleanly racked to small oak barrels, 30% new, with four rackings over 18 months.
