Northstar - Walla Walla Valley Merlot 2001

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“This is an excellent wine with a structure and finesse that typifies the Walla Walla Valley appellation. Smooth accents of chocolate and vanilla follow ripe fruit flavors of plum and cherry. This well-balanced wine delivers a long, supple finish.”
Acclaim
91 Points, Wine Spectator
Merlot Vintage
Mild winter and spring weather continued into a long, warm, dry and stable growing season, providing excellent conditions for the grapes to ripen to maturity. The month of August saw the onset of a prolonged period of warm, cloud free weather. September harvest conditions were ideal with very warm, clear days and cool nights and fruit had intense flavors, abundant sugars and moderate balancing acidity. Berry size was smaller than usual, producing fruit with ripe variety characteristics. Overall, fruit quality was excellent, contributing to the state’s fourth consecutive outstanding vintage.
Vineyards
This is the second vintage for the Walla Walla blend and it showcases Merlot and Cabernet from the best vineyards in the appellation. Spring Valley Vineyard, located in the middle of rolling wheat fields, was planted in the early 1990s on land that the family has farmed for more than 100 years. These vineyards have loamy soils and are planted on a steep south-facing slope, allowing vines to absorb more of the sun’s energy. Planted in 1995, Vanessa Vineyards is located on the Oregon side of the appellation and contributed both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to this vintage. Windrow Vineyard, also on the Oregon side of the appellation, was established in 1985.
Winemaking
Ripe grapes were destemmed and crushed, leaving 25% whole berries intact, then inoculated with various strains of yeast, including Prise de Mousse and Fermirouge. Lots were fermented separately in 2.5-ton open top fermenters and punched down 2-4 times per day to extract optimal flavor, tannins and color during the 6-day fermentation on the skins. After primary fermentation, the lots were racked into barrels and underwent malolactic fermentation. Aged for 17 months in primarily French oak and some American, using 68% new barrels and 32% one-year-old barrels. Type and age of barrel used for each individual vineyard lot was hand-selected. Individual lots were racked every three months for clarity, with a total of six rackings.
Technical data
Total Acidity 0.58/100 ml pH 3.79 Alcohol 14.5% Bottling Date June 2003 Blend 86% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon
Food Pairing
Filet mignon, Roast pork loin and Robust cheeses. Download Recipes

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