2007
MERLOT
CALIFORNIA
•WINEMAKER’S NOTES•
The stellar 2007 vintage gave this Merlot exceptional fruit expression and velvety tannins. The enticing aromas and flavors suggest juicy black cherries and red berries crushed with dashes of cocoa and spice. The supple tannins give the wine structure, while oak aging adds warm vanilla tones to the fruity, lingering finish. Our Merlot’s fruit-focused personality comes from grapes grown primarily in the historic Lodi appellation surrounding our winery. Its soft, versatile style complements grilled meats, especially steak, lamb, turkey and pork. Pour it with wild mushroom risotto, hearty stews and lasagna, or just sip it with a mellow cheese. Choose whatever pleases your palate!
Varietal blend: 78% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petite Sirah, 3% Syrah, 3% Malbec and the balance other complementary varieties
•VINTAGE•
“I call 2007 a one-in-twenty vintage,” said Todd Ziemann, Director of Winemaking. “I believe it’s the highest quality harvest in the 20 years that I’ve been a winemaker in Lodi. The wines are amazing.” Low rainfall kept the grapes small and concentrated, while moderately cool temperatures throughout the growing season prevented the vines from becoming stressed. Early budbreak in spring led to the early onset of harvest. Merlot, one of the first red varieties to ripen, showed exceptional flavor and tannin maturity.
•VINEYARDS•
To achieve our Merlot’s soft tannins and ripe, luscious flavors, we selected the majority of grapes from the Lodi American Viticultural Area (AVA), focusing on the Clements, Jahant and Mokelumne sub-districts. Then we added grapes from the neighboring Clarksburg AVA, which also enjoys the cool delta breezes. To round out the blend, we harvested grapes from the North Coast and Central Coast AVA. Merlot is the most planted variety in Bordeaux, France—and a very popular variety in California―-often playing the round, vivacious companion to the more austere Cabernet Sauvignon.
Grape Sourcing: 78% Lodi AVA, (focusing on the Clements, Jahant and Mokelumne sub-AVAs);
balance from the Clarksburg, North Coast and Monterey AVAs
•FERMENTATION AND AGING•
After lightly crushing the grapes, we fermented the must (juice and skins) with a selected yeast strain in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Depending on the vineyard’s personality, we pressed the wine between 0 and 5 degrees Brix (sugar reading) for brighter fruit character, and then the young wine finished both primary and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Aging with French oak from a variety of coopers added an array of sweet oak spices for flavor complexity. We then added Cabernet Sauvignon for structure, Petite Sirah and Malbec for deep color and Syrah for spice.
Wine analysis: 0.57% total acid, 3.60 pH, 0.23% residual sugar, and 13.5% alcohol, by volume