2005 Signature Selection Meritage

Our 2005 Signature Selection Meritage is rich and concentrated, offering complex aromas of currant, leather and black licorice with subtle notes of vanilla and cedar. Flavors of ripe blackberry and boysenberry are complemented by soft, supple tannins and a long, lingering finish.

The small, individual lots of grapes comprising the 2005 Signature Selection Meritage were brought into the winery in the early morning hours where they were gently crushed and sent to small stainless steel fermentation tanks. After a "cold soak" period of 48-72 hours each. lot was innoculated with a special strain of yeast, enhancing richness and varietal characteristic. During a 7-10 day fermentation each lot of wine was ╥pumped over╙ the cap of skins twice daily, extracting color, flavor and structure from skins. After an extended maceration of 14-21 days, the free-run wine was racked by gravity flow to new French oak barrels for ageing, during which malo-lactic fermentation took place, further softening the acidity of each wine. After 24 months in barrel the final blend was assembled and returned to barrel for an additional six months to allow for full integration of the components, all leading to a soft, rich and complex wine. "

The rich and full-bodied depth of our Meritage make this wine the perfect accompaniment to a wide variety of foods, including red meat dishes, hearty cheeses, and Italian dishes with tomato sauce.