1997 Northstar Merlot

This is an elegant, medium-bodied Merlot showing hallmark flavors and character from the Columbia Valley. Its rich dark-ruby color hints at the complexity of the wine's flavors: sweet oak balanced by supple fruit notes - black cherries, ripe plum - before a vanilla-toast finish. Winemakers Jed Steele blended 12% Malbec with the Merlot to introduce up-front fruit to the palate. Predominantly new (80%) French and American oak contribute lively cedar-leather aromas.

The 1997 growing season began slowly with cool temperatures that modestly delayed bud break and flowering. July and August favored warm, dry weather patterns. A judicious irrigation regime restrained canopy growth, resulting in optimal development of color and fruit characters. Warm temperatures continued into September, bringing the fruit to peak ripeness. The ripening period concluded late September, and the additional hang-time endowed the fruit with added complexity and an ideal acid-to-sugar ratio.

The distinguished character of Merlot from Washington's Columbia Valley - rich, velvety texture combined with substantial depth and structure - provides the inspiration for Northstar. Winemakers Jed Steele source grapes from key vineyard locations throughout the growing region. The particular differences among the soils and climates within each vineyard produce distinctly different profiles among the grapes. The resulting wine exhibits supple layers of powerful, concentrated varietal flavors, a complex structure, and an elegant "forward" fruitiness.

Grapes from each vinyard site were fermented separately on the skins up to 8 days. The extended skin contact coupled with a gentle, twicedaily pumpover regime optimized the extraction of color and varietal flavors. After pressing, the wine was placed in predominantly new French (80%) oak barrels, where malolactic fermentation occurred. The wine then aged in the barrels for 15 months. The finished wine includes a portion of Malbec for additional depth, and a small amount of new American oak-aged Merlot to impart a complex "spice" character. The wine features just 25% of the barrels initially intended for the Northstar blend.

• Total Acidity ~ 0.51g/100 ml
• pH ~ 3.62
• Alcohol Content ~ 13.5%
• Blend 88 % Merlot, 12% Malbec