Gordon Estate Merlot
Gordon Estate Merlot 2017
TASTING NOTES:
Aromas of dried fruit, dried floral; roses. Medium body, medium tannins, good acid. Flavors of tobacco leaf, tree nuts and berries. Pair with a wood-fired Margherita Pizza.
WINEMAKER NOTES: I love to work with Washington Merlot; this Merlot shows intense aromatics of fresh, ripe raspberry and blueberry. The generous palate is well-structured with crushed ripe berries, vanilla and leather that linger among silky smooth tannins for a pleasing finish.
Wine Specs
Vintage
2017
ACID
5.9 g/L
Varietal
Merlot
PH
3.83
AGING
22 Months in 100 % neutral French oak
Alcohol %
13.8
Profile
VINEYARD NOTES
The 2017 vintage started out with a cool, wet winter, with significantly above average snowfall in eastern Washington. Going into spring, the cool trend continued. We thought we might have cool growing season on our hands. As a result, bud break in 2017 was behind historical averages and significantly behind the most recent warm vintages of 2013-2015. Bloom was also slightly delayed by about a week. The early part of summer saw average temperatures followed by above average temperatures in July and August. As a result, heat accumulation was a bit above average for the season (3050 GDD), despite the cool start. Harvest started about a week earlier than normal. In the second half of September, temperatures cooled considerably, which delayed ripening. This was not a bad thing as it slowed sugar accumulation and allowed flavors to develop nicely while retaining good acid levels. Overall, we are very pleased with this vintage and I would rate the quality as very high.
WINEMAKER NOTES
FERMENTATION: Fruit was picked in the morning, crushed and sent directly into open top fermenters. Cap was punched down by hand two times a day until dry. After pressing, wine was transferred to oak barrels to complete primary and Malolactic fermentation.