Tasting Note: Pretty, concentrated Merlot from cool-climate Columbia Valley in Washington State, brimming with black cherry and a dollop of raspberry jam, counterbalanced by a bouquet of leather and spice.
Food Matching: This Merlot will pair nicely with roast beef, lamb, grilled salmon and hearty pastas.
Vineyard: Columbia Valley vineyards lie in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains and receive just 6-8 inches of rainfall annually. Warm, sunny days and cool evening temperatures create ideal conditions for intense aroma and flavor development in the ripening grapes. A northerly latitude gives the Columbia Valley roughly two more hours of sunlight daily during the peak-growing season than California, increasing the region’s ability to ripen fruit.
Vinification: The ripe grapes were de-stemmed and inoculated with various strains of yeast to maximise complexity. Gentle pump-overs during fermentation were used to extract colour and flavour, and to produce soft, supple tannins. The wine was then oak aged for 14 months.
