COMPLETE TASTING NOTES
At Chalk Hill Estate, the 2000 Merlot was harvested after a long and cool season, ideal conditions for this red Bordeaux variety. The mountain slopes and shallow, gravelly soils of our Estate are the basis for the unique terroir, resulting in the unmatched quality evidenced in our 2000 Estate Merlot. The slow progression toward full maturity in a moderate season brings true physiological ripeness, wherein soft and supple tannins are complemented by rich and opulent flavors. Rigorous viticultural practices, such as thinning the crop to balance individual vines and pulling leaves by hand for optimal light penetration to the clusters, led to concentrated levels of color, mouthfeel and vibrancy.
In a precise and thoughtful manner, the grapes were hand picked to capture full maturity and then gently brought to the winery for traditional winemaking. After de-stemming with minimal crushing, whole berries were fermented using predominately native yeasts. Gentle pump-overs helped the fermenting juice extract texture, color and flavors residing in the grape skins. To protect the silky texture and lengthy fruit inherent in our Merlot vineyards, the wine was drained and barreled after a short maceration period. The 2000 Chalk Hill Estate Merlot saw only the highest quality French oak barrels. A slow, native malolactic fermentation in barrel helped to marry the spicy and robust Merlot flavors with the nutty, creamy texture provided by the oak. And, after quietly building greater flavor and richness in barrel, a process taking twenty-one months, the Merlot was blended with Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. These “other” Bordeaux varieties, grown in limited amounts on Chalk Hill Estate, provide the ultimate depth to the winemaker’s blend, accentuating the influence of terroir. Bottling on August 14th, 2002 occurred with neither fining nor filtration. The Chalk Hill Estate 2000 Merlot has a decidedly supple and rich texture, exuding aromas of earthy plum and red currant. The silky tannins carry the lengthy and generous black cherry, cocoa and cigar box flavors to a long and enjoyable finish.
REVIEW
Wine Enthusiast awards the 2000 Estate Bottled Chalk Hill Merlot 89 Points
Complete Review
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
- Blend:
- 82% Merlot, 13% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
- Vineyard:
- Estate
- Appellation:
- Chalk Hill
- Ageing:
- Twenty-one months, 57% new French oak
- Harvested:
- September 29-November 1, 2000, Brix 22.2°, T.A. 5.5 g/l, pH 3.67
- Bottled:
- August 14, 2002, T.A. 5.9 g/l, pH 3.76
