Nose
This serious and structured Merlot reveals intriguing aromatics of dark fruit, tobacco leaf, cedar, violet, and rose.
Palate
Its rich texture is elevated by flavors of black cherry, peppercorn, grounded by Ferguson’s graphite minerality carrying into a flavorful persistent finish.
Growing Conditions
Estate Vineyards: Ferguson Vineyard 50% - Fractured basalt and Seven Hills Vineyard 50% - Wind-blown loess. These prestigious vineyards are Certified Sustainable and Certified Salmon-Safe.
Harvest
The 2017 vintage was moderate in heat units and produced spectacular quality and balance normally associated with such seasonal conditions. A cool, wet spring delayed bud break until early April allowing the vines to fully recover from a hard prior winter. Bloom occurred in early June in line with the long-term average. July and early August were slightly warmer than normal suppressing berry growth and yields. Late September was cooler than normal. This slowed fruit maturation, pushing most of harvest into October. Our beautiful Indian summer brought plentiful sunshine in October. Warm days and cool night temperatures produced an ideal balance of flavor development, acid retention, and mineral notes in the majority of wines. A near-perfect vintage in the door.
Bottling
Bottling Date: February 14, 2019
Winemaking
Each lot was hand-harvested ripe and gently crushed into 1.5 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 entirely to small French oak barrels, 35% new, with four rackings over 18 months.
