St. Supery Merlot

Description

Winemakers Notes Th is Merlot has a deep, rich purple hue. Blackberry, raspberry and chocolate mocha dominate the aromas with a background of vanillin showing the French oak barrel maturation and a hint of cranberry. Black plum, cassis and vanillin toasted oak are found on the palate. Th is Merlot has good weight and is both elegant and structured.Growing Season Th e 2010 growing season presented us with lower than average temperatures and good rainfall. Summer ranged from very mild to being quite cool, allowing even and steady fruit ripening. August had excellent temperatures, accelerating maturation with a brief hot spell. Th e mild summer resulted in a long hang-time for the fruit yielding tremendous fl avor intensity and development.Winemaking Th e fruit was hand harvested in the cool morning hours and brought to the cellar in small bins. Th e grapes were then delivered to a double hand sorting system. First, the clusters were sorted for those of best condition, then the clusters were destemmed and transferred to a vibrating table. During this fi nal stage, the individual berries were hand sorted to ensure that the most ideal grapes were chosen. Th ese berries were placed in small open top fermenters for a short period of resting on skins. Warm fermentation temperatures were encouraged during vinifi cation along with gentle punch downs to achieve the desired color and structure for the wine. After remaining on skins for an extended maceration period, fi nal pressing occurred and wine was transferred directly to barrel for 20 months of maturation.Rutherford Estate Vineyard St. Superys Rutherford Estate Vineyard is on the Rutherford Bench of mineral-rich alluvial soils and sandy clay loam from the Mayacamas Mountains. Deep, well-drained soil allows the grapevines root system to mine for nutrients and water, which yields complex and concentrated fl avors in the fruit. Roughly 35 acres of our Rutherford Estate Vineyard are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Francvarietals perfectly suited for the climate and soils in Rutherford. – St. Supery