My Account  •  Join Mailing List  •  Trade & Media
2000

Merlot

Michael Black Vineyard,
Napa Valley

Deep red/black color. Aromas of blackberry, cinnamon, cedar, and dried roses exude from the glass. On the palate the wine reveals richness wrapped with fruit and milk chocolate flavors, made more intriguing with a trace of spice and earth. Medium –bodied, this is an elegant wine that is enjoyable now and will be for years to come. Alcohol 14.6%.

Download PDF

89 points
Wine Advocate

87 points
Wine Spectator

view acclaim

Harvest Date September 28

Growing Season Warm days and cool nights during the growing season resulted in a crop with excellent color, fully developed flavors and great acidity. Diligent work in the vineyard to limit a large crop set helped optimize richness in the grapes. Cool weather during harvest provided enhanced flavor development.

Winemaking

• Hand harvested grapes
• Fermented in an open-top stainless steel fermentors
• 5-day cold maceration, 21 days total maceration
• Fermentation with indigenous yeast
• 18-months in French oak barrels, 65% new
• Unblended, unfined, unfiltered; bottled April 2002