SOUTH CASCO, MAINE

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2002 Merlot

Retail: $23.00

Variety: 100% Washington State Merlot

We get the grapes for our Merlot from Washington State's Yakima Valley. There, they are able to grow consistently fine, fruity, well structured grapes well suited to making excellent Merlot. We ferment and age our Merlot in small French oak barrels.

Description: Flavors of Blueberries, plums and especially cherries, with a lovely soft beguiling bouquet of rose blossoms and chocolate. Crisply structured with tight fruit, soft tannins and a medium-weight extended finish. Fermented and aged for 19 months in small French oak barrels. Unfiltered and unfined.

Vinification: The grapes are hand picked, hand sorted and crushed in by Kestrel Vineyards, chilled to 28 F, and delivered to the winery. This 4-6 day long cold-soak extracts color and flavor from the skins of the grapes but extracts very little tannin.


This is one reason our Red wines have great complexity and flavor yet are quite smooth and approachable. The must is inoculated with two different yeast strains and fermented on the skins until the desired tannin level is reached. The must is then pressed and put into oak barrels were it finishes primary fermentation (sugar to alcohol) and secondary fermentation (malo-lactic). The wine is then racked into clean barrels and aged for 16 months.