Merlot Columbia Valley 2017

Elaboration

Merlot Columbia Valley 2017 comes from one of America's most exciting wine regions — Washington State's Columbia Valley, sheltered in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains where just 6-8 inches of annual rainfall, warm sunny days and cool evenings create ideal conditions for producing grapes of exceptional ripeness and aromatic complexity. Ripe Merlot grapes are destemmed and fermented with selected yeast strains to maximise complexity, with gentle pump-overs during fermentation to extract rich color and flavor while developing soft, supple tannins. A touch of Syrah adds further fruit character and depth. The wine is then aged for 18 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels, developing its signature layers of dark fruit, leather and spice.