Vintage Notes

This 2003 vintage Merlot could be the best yet!! The aromas of black current, blackberries and currants predominate. There is a healthy dose of medium toasted oak barrels. You see a great vintage in this 2003 Merlot with moderate tannins and good acid backbone. This wine drinks great now and has some punch worthy of 6-8 years aging.

Vineyards

The 2003 growing season was hot with deep ripening fruit that gave us wines of good color, structure and depth. This is a wine with great weight on the palate. My winemaking philosophy remains constant as I blend the great characteristics of various vineyard sources to develop the best wine in the bottle. Here is the breakdown of my Merlot vineyard sources used in the 2003 vintage:

Conner Lee Vineyard Columbia Valley/Columbia Basin
Wahluke Slope Vineyard Columbia Valley/Wahluke Slope
Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Columbia Valley
Caroway Vineyard Columbia Valley/Columbia Basin
Champoux Vineyard Columbia Valley/Alder Ridge

Wine Making

Bordeaux yeast was used at a Max fermentation of 88 degrees F
Pump-overs 2 to 3 times daily until fermented to dryness
7650 cases produced and Bottled 7/05
Malo-lactic positive
Aged in both American and European oak barrels—Medium Heavy Toast