2011 Merlot 750

VINEYARD NOTES

Seavey's 18th vintage of estate-produced Merlot, the 2011, was made grapes sources from the steepest blocks at the very top of the vineyard--the blocks most exposed to sunlight and with well-drained soils. The 2011 vintage was challenging as it was marked by wet and cool weather that began in the winter and continued through mid-June, and then picked up again in mid-October. Our steep hillsides allowed us extended hang time and we harvested into early November, carefully handpicking our hillside Merlot blocks in sequential rolling harvests starting at the top and working down. Multiple small lots resulted that were then separately vinified and aged.

PRODUCTION NOTES

Winemaking followed classic Bordeaux methods with whole-berry fermentation. In the cool of the early morning harvest, grapes were promptly destemmed and the uncrushed berries were gently transferred into fermentation tanks. In order to carefully manage the tannins and resultant wine texture, our grapes are neither crushed nor run through a pump. Following fermentation, the wine was aged in French oak barrels (50% new) for 19 months before bottling in May 2013.

100% ESTATE GROWN, PRODUCED & BOTTLED, NAPA VALLEY AVA