Description
We craft this wine to be our complex yet approachable Merlot. The wine offers aromas of black cherry, leather and spice with layers of rich dark red fruit flavors and a long, smooth, sweet finish. A touch of Syrah adds a jammy fruit character. I think of this wine as a great “everyday red.”-Bob Bertheau, Head Winemaker VINTAGE • Cool temperatures during spring delayed bud break and bloom by three to four weeks. • Consistently warm summer temperatures lengthened the ripening period, resulting in harvest starting three weeks later than normal. • Without the growing season’s typical temperature spikes that surpass 100° F, grapes ripened evenly with the required sugar levels and ideal physiological maturity VINEYARDS • Half of the fruit came from our vineyard at Canoe Ridge Estate, contributing complexity and refined tannins. • Fruit from vineyards on the Wahluke Slope, a warm region known for ripe, concentrated and fruit forward reds, rounded out the blend.
