2004 Merlot
2004 Merlot
Wine Notes
by Barnard Griffin
Vintage Notes
This 2004 vintage Merlot is a worthy successor to our award winning 2003. The aromas of black cherries and red currants dominate the nose. There is a good dose of medium toasted European oak barrels. You see a great vintage in the 2004 with moderate tannins and good acid. This wine drinks great now and has some punch worthy of 5-8 years aging.
2004 Tulip Merlot
Vineyards
The 2004 growing season was hot with deep ripening fruit that gave us wines of good color, structure and depth. This is a wine with good weight on the pallet. 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 2004 vintage:
Conner Lee Vineyard Columbia Valley/Columbia Basin
Wahluke Slope Vineyard Columbia Valley/Wahluke Slope
Caroway Vineyard Columbia Valley/Columbia Basin
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
Aged in both American and European oak barrels – Medium Heavy Toast