COMPLETE TASTING NOTES
The 1996 Chalk Hill Merlot incorporates, for the first time, fruit from our Oak Hill Vineyard. This site was planted in 1991 and contains four different clones of Merlot, all selected for their very individual renditions of Merlot varietal character. These effusive wines neatly complement the wines from our original vineyards, which are planted on steep hillsides in a bowl directly opposite the winery and provide wines of deep color and expansive structure. The blend of these lots capitalizes on both site and clonal diversity. Accented with dollops of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, the combination produces a complex wine with classic black cherry, currant, and cassis flavors, ripe tannins and a supple finish. All the lots were produced in traditional fashion: native yeast fermentations, ageing in French oak, malolactic in barrel, no acidification, quarterly rackings, and egg white fining. The wine was bottled without filtration in July 1998.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
- Blend:
- 88% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec
- Vineyard:
- Estate
- Appellation:
- Chalk Hill
- Ageing:
- Twenty months, 59% new French oak
- Harvested:
- October 3-21, 1996, Brix 24.8°, T.A. 4.3 g/l, pH 3.85
- Bottled:
- July 7 & 8, 1998, T.A. 5.8 g/l, pH 3.68
