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2005 Howell Mountain Merlot |
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 VINEYARDThe 2005 Howell Mountain Merlot is second release of this special wine. The vineyard sits at an elevation of 2,000 feet, on a remote part of Howell Mountain, looking east toward the Sierras. Planted in 1990, the vineyard struggles to produce 2 tons of grapes per acre, but yields Merlot of extraordinary intensity and structure. Such a low yield of fruit means that only two canes per vine can be pruned, and only 120 cases of wine will be produced per acre each season. The 2005 harvest arrived very late, and these grapes were picked in three different waves, the last on October 20. WINEMAKING The harvest was very large and very late in 2005. The grapes in the 2005 Napa Valley Merlot were picked between October 4th and October 13th, at an average of 26.2 degrees Brix. The wine was then fermented naturally for two and a half weeks, with no yeasts or acids added. Following the fermentation, all lots were macerated on their skins for twenty-five days. The wine spent twenty months in fifty percent new French oak barrels, before being bottled in July, 2007, without fining or filtration. TASTING NOTES The wine, like the vineyard itself, shows a wild, exotic side rarely seen in Merlot. The color is a deep garnet, black cherry red. The nose is a complex mixture of roses, minerals, and cinnamon. On the palate, bright blackberry and an earthy minerality are complemented by nutmeg and hints of leather. Silky, fine-grained tannins carry through the finish with flavors of graphite, cocoa and espresso bean. Our Howell Mountain Merlot represents the height of what Merlot can be, and we expect to see it evolve over the next twenty years. |
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Detailed Wine Information |
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