Nose
Our 2017 Estate Merlot has beautiful fruit notes of juniper berry, berry compote, red currant, fig, and dark cherry. The wine also exhibits notes of talcum powder, mint, rose petal, and forest floor.
Palate
Washington Merlot is at it's best from Walla Walla and this Dark Cherry, Red Currant and fig fueled wine won't let you down. On the pallet this medium bodied red has a silky tannin texture and a bright lingering finish.
Growing Conditions
100% Walla Walla Merlot from our Estate Vineyard, Whistling Hills.
The 2017 growing season had its ups and downs. We started with a cool wet spring that pushed budbreak back a few weeks. Luckily the summer was hot giving the vines a chance catch up. During verasion (the color change of grapes) many wild fires in the Northwest blanketed the area in smoke. Fortunately the smoke lifted in time so as not to impact the quality of the fruit. Walla Walla ended with a nice long growing season. In the end the fruit coming in was of high quality and the growing season had slightly above average temperatures making for optimal wines.
Whistling Hills Estate Vineyard was planted in 2007 this vineyard wraps around our beautiful winery. The vines are nestled in deep windblown loess soil. The vines roots reach deep down into the soil unimpeded to make elegantly balanced wines. Our vines are planted at 23 degrees off North to allow for perfect sun exposure. With a latitude of 46 degrees North, our vines are sun-drenched during the summer, receiving over 17 hours of light during the peak part of the growing season. This allows the fruit to perfectly ripen each year. Whistling Hills receives little in the way of rainfall so we utilize drip irrigation to direct the perfect amount of moisture to the vines. The Walla Walla Valley lies in the desert of Eastern Washington. During the latter days of ripening, we experience warm days and cool nights in our vineyard allowing the grapes to retain Washington's signature acidity.
Winemaking
This is the Merlot that is big and proud, sometimes thinks he is a cabernet. Winemaker, Ryan Raber uses restraint with 75% New French Oak and the soutirage traditionnel method to capture the silkiest tannins and capture a bright lingering finish.
Our 2017 Merlot underwent fermentation in open top fermenters. During fermentation, the wine wasproduced using a combination of pump-overs particularly delestages (draining the tank of all juice and then pumping it over). The wine was aged in oak for 22 months before being bottled. Over the years this vineyard has matured and its resulting wines have become increasingly complex. The last few vintages the fruit has developed considerably. I attribute this to the age of the vines and the racking technique we employ, soutirage traditionnel, (racking the wine without a pump).
Aging
75% New French Oak; 25% Neutral French Oak
