2000 Merlot

Estate

The Wine

The Merlot for this wine was hand harvested in early September from our Jardine vineyard and delivered to the winery in half-ton bins. The grapes were destemmed and gently crushed into a temperature controlled stainless steel fermenter. During fermentation, the must was pumped over three times a day to extract the color, tannins and flavors out of the skins. The Merlot fermentation protocol dictates keeping the temperature below 85°F in order to preserve the fragile fruit flavors in the young wine. At 0°Brix, the wine was pressed and settled for another four days in the tank to finish primary fermentation completely. For malic fermentation, the wine was racked to barrels. It was racked again off the heavy solids and aged for an additional 11 months. After blending, the wine was filtered gently and bottled.

Enjoy now through 2005.

Tasting Notes

• Color: Medium ruby red
• Aroma: Very complex bouquet, red cherries, blue and black berries
• Taste: Lots of fruit, slightly peppery with well formed tannins