Stella Maris - Columbia Valley Red Wine 2000

This elegant, fruit forward wine showcases plum flavors, with a hint of tea leaf and a long sweet oak and spicy finish.

• Overall, the growing season had moderate temperatures and almost no rainfall, 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, sunny weather and low nighttime temperatures.
• A late-September cold front slowed down the ripening process and allowed grapes extended time on the vine. Result: at harvest fruit had intense flavors, abundant sugar and moderate balancing acidity.
• Winemakers characterize the 2000 harvest as exceptional for both quality and quantity.

• Winemakers hand selected Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from the best vineyards in the Walla Walla and Columbia Valleys.
• Vineyards were selected for a range of flavors, body, and structure, in order to develop a well rounded blend.
• Vines are 5-20 years old and grow in very deep sandy soils.
• The final blend consists of fruit from the vines of five different vineyard lots.

• Ripe grapes were destemmed and crushed, leaving 25% whole berries intact, then inoculated with various strains of yeast, including Prise de Mousse and Fermirouge.
• All lots were fermented in 2.5 ton open top fermenters.
• The must was punched down 2-4 times per day to extract optimal flavor, tannin and color during the 5-day fermentation on the skins.
• Free run juice was racked to barrels to finish primary fermentation.
• Aged for 19 months in French and American oak, using 80% new and 20% one-year-old barrels.
• Individual lots were racked every three months for clarity, with a total of six rackings.

• Total acidity 0.37 g/100ml
• pH 3.69
• Alcohol 14.5%
• Bottling date June 2002
• Blend 78% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon