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July
29, 2002
1999 Merlot - Seven Hills Vineyard - l'Ecole 41 - Walla Walla Valley - Washington
4 grapes
The wine
class that I teach at NAIT found this wine "simply delicious!"
Wonderfully black with great richness and extraction. Full of black cherry
aromas, sweet plums, smoky like a campfire and a near Christmas pudding
sensation. The palate is quite complex with layers of black fruit, sound
yet round tannins, great balance and an exquisite finish.
Some technical data:
79% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine is a blend of three distinguished Walla Walla Valley vineyards:
50% Forgotten Hills Vineyard Merlot, 28% Pepper Bridge Vineyard Merlot,
and 22% Seven Hills Vineyard Cabernet Franc (14%) and Cabernet Sauvignon
(8%).
Each lot was harvested ripe and gently crushed into one ton stainless steel fermenters. The must was inoculated with yeast and punched down by hand during fermentation to maximize fruit extraction. The must and resulting wine were gravity fed into the fermentation bins and subsequently into the press. After a gently pressing, the wine was racked to tank and allowed to settle. The wine was then racked to 100% small oak barrels, with approximately 50% new oak. The wine was barrel aged 17 months with five rackings and the final blend was bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve its natural flavors. This Merlot was bottle-aged 10 month prior to release.
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The Purple Feet Rating System: |
5 grapes = spectacular |
|
4 grapes = delicious |
3 grapes = yummy |
2 grapes = okay |
1 grape = awkward |
