Our wines

2006 White Merlot, Temecula Valley

Growing Season

The 2006 growing season was most noted for its considerable heat spells in early summer, resulting in slower production by the vines. A cooling off in late July and early August to near perfect conditions lead to expected yields of superior quality, especially in the red varietals, which had ideal “hang time” fairly consistent climate during the final six to eight weeks on the vine. Overall, quality was very good, which will yield wines which are complex and well-structured.

Winemaking

Harvested at approximately 24.3° Brix from Los Caballos Vineyard on September 10th and 11th, our White Merlot was allowed to macerate on the skins for just a few hours, picking up its light pink color while extracting fruit flavors from the skins. Fermentation of the juice was then completed at cool temperatures, preserving the fruitiness of the varietal.

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes

Our 2006 White Merlot was allowed to macerate on the skins for a short period of time. A long, cool fermentation led to a wine bursting with delicious aromas and flavors of fresh strawberries, raspberries, and cherries.

Suggested Food Pairings

The fresh fruitiness of our 2006 White Merlot make this wine the ideal accompaniment to a wide variety of foods, including light meats and cheeses and Italian spicy dishes with tomato sauce.