2001 Snowden Vineyard Merlot

LIBRARY RELEASE!

The 2001 Snowden Vineyard Merlot has aged so well that we are releasing some of it from our Library! After 18 years of aging, the aromas and flavors of blackberries, cherries, chocolate, coffee and toasty oak are still abundant. This wine is a wonderful sipping wine that also pairs nicely with a cheese and charcuterie board. Full bodied with a long sweet finish, this wine has continued to develop for all these years!

Tasting Notes and Technical Information

Our goal of producing a Napa Valley adaptation of the great red wines of Pomerol was fulfilled with the 2001 vintage. A year of nearly perfect weather provided us with ripe fruit having character, richness and depth that we had not yet seen from our small plot in the Snowden Vineyards above Rutherford. The grapes, Clone #181, are grown in Snowden Vineyards, which is located 800 feet above the Napa Valley floor above Rutherford. After cold soaking for 3 to 5 days, fermentation took place over the course of 7 to 10 days. Following dryness, the wine was left for an extended maceration period of 36 to 42 days. The resulting wine was then aged in Chateau style French oak barrels for 18 to 22 months.

The Specs

Blend Composition	96.9% Merlot, 2.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 0.8% Petit Verdot
Harvest Dates	September 3, 2001 to September 16, 2001
Harvest Analysis	25.7 Brix, 4.9 gms/l TA, 3.68 pH
Pre-Fermentation Maceration	72 hours @ 60 degrees F
Pumpover Regime	2 times/day with Aeration
Maximum Fermentation Temperature	90 degrees F
Total Skin Contact Time	35 days
Barrel Aging	20 months in Chateau Style French oak, Medium Plus Toast, 66% new
Bottling Date	June 16, 2003
Case Production	480 cases