2019 Merlot
After a break from 2018 due to poor spring weather in the vineyard (FROST!) we are happy to have a new vintage of the first grape we planted in our vineyard in 1993. We have always thought our Merlot has a bit of an identity crisis...It usually drinks more like a Cabernet, with a lot more backbone than a typical Merlot. It boasts wild berry and plum aromas followed by a burst of blackberries and other dark fruits on the palate, with just a touch of oak character, being aged in 100% French Oak barrels...
Try this delicious Merlot with one of our favorite dishes: Blackberry stuffed Pork Loin with some Rosemary, roasted garlic, and feta cheese.... Hmm...I am hungry just writing this!
| Appellation | Sierra Foothills |
| Vineyard | Cherokee Creek |
| Designation | Calaveras County |
| Alcohol | 15.00% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
Gold Medal, Sierra Foothills Wine Competition
This year, 18 esteemed judges thoughtfully evaluated 241 wines in the day-long event, the Sierra Foothills Wine Competition. Professional wine reviewers, judges, and writers from across California included: Dan Berger, Jim Twiford, Mark Chandler, Martin Maxwell, Mike Dunne, Mike Kerrigan, Paul Wagner, Sue Reiner Lyon, Jim Gordan, Rick Kushman, Brad Alderson, John Mensinger, Steve Fox, Bob Adams, Mike Kelly, Brian Miller, Tana Cole, and Pat Dodd.
Our Home Vineyard, Cherokee Creek Vineyard, is located in a special place to grow grapes. It is planted in the bottom of what used to be the Calaveras River, which scoured much of the topsoil into the San Joaquin Delta. As a result, the soils here are not deep and the vines must struggle to grow. Merlot is grown in the thinnest soil in the vineyard. The soil is less than 18 inches at deepest, with areas we could not even dig a hole to plant…we had to use picks and bars to make holes. What this gets us is a very concentrated Merlot that in some years could be as rich and heavy as a Cabernet Sauvignon!
The white grapes and Petite Sirah also benefit from our terrific site. Our specialty, Petite Sirah, makes very small clusters of grapes, roughly the size of a fist. This is less than half the size of an average cluster of Petite. The result is inky dark.
Climate plays a major role in our vineyard, too! Our area is hot, with daytime averaging around 94 degrees in the summer until cooling off for harvest. Because it is dry in our area, we do not worry too much about mildew which interferes with the ripening of the grapes and can lead to molds that make flawed wines. We are fortunate to have a five acre pond adjacent to the vineyard which benefits the grapes in two ways. First, we get some coolness off the pond as the breezes set in and cool the air over the vineyard. And second, the airflow created by the two small valleys that make up the pond helps keep the air moving and dry. Most vineyards have to spray sulfur dust every three weeks in order to make sure the mold does not take over. We have not sprayed anti fungal sprays in over 15 years. Also a benefit is that the sparse soil means lower vigor in the growth of the vines. Because there is lighter canopy from the stress of the vines due to the thin soil, air is able to penetrate the canopy and keep the mildew away!
Our vineyard also benefits from the airflow in the afternoons by helping night time temperatures to fall quickly, preserving acidity that gives complexity to the wines. While we may have temperatures in the mid 90’s to mid 100’s during the peak of summer, the nights could be in the mid 50’s or low 60’s. An approximate 40 degree temperature change. Grapes are always harvested at night when they are cool. This helps us get the grapes crushed and prepared for fermentation while they are cool, preventing ‘Rogue Fermentations’!
