Background:
Vineyard - Southern Oregon is achieving more and more notoriety with its ability to produce outstanding red wines like Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah. The source for this wine is a small valley called the “Applegate Valley”, which is a new sub-appellation within Oregon’s Rogue Valley.
Harvest - The 2004 growing season for Oregon was a bit of a struggle. A bitterly cold January, a much too warm March, and a very wet May were the start of a series of conditions that led to crop sizes that were roughly half of normal. When Mother Nature gives you only half your crop, she generally makes sure that the fruit you do have is terrific, as was the case in 2004. Summers in Southern Oregon are very warm, and the short crop allowed the grapes to mature about two weeks early. Terrific weather during September and October allowed for additional hang time, which led to beautiful fruit, with nice levels of acidity. Harvest for Merlot began Oct. 10th, and Cab on Oct 14th. We are very pleased with the grapes from this vintage, we just wish there had been more of them
Fermentation and Aging - The grapes are destemmed, crushed and then moved into large stainless steel tanks where the fermentation takes place. During this stage, the young wine is pumped gently over the floating skins 2-3 times daily. When the wine is dry, the skins and young wine are separated and some wine is moved into barrels, while the balance stays in stainless tanks. Prior to bottling, the oak aged and non-oak aged components are blended and the wine is bottled young with an emphasis on highlighting its fruit forward character.
Winemaker's Notes - This Bordeaux-style blend shows aromas of cherry and cloves with flavors that hint of plum, red raspberry and vanillin characters. This blend shows varietal texture and complexity.