2003 Trinchero Family Merlot

VINEYARD INFORMATION

Our Trinchero Family Merlot features fruit from some of California's top, cool-climate, coastal appellations. In 2003, we blended lots from estate and contracted vineyards in Monterey (79%), Lake (9%), Santa Barbara (7%) and Napa (5%) to enhance complexity, balance and varietal accuracy. Most of the vineyards selected for this wine utilized substainable farming practices.

WINEMAKING

Our 2003 Trinchero Family Merlot was fermented using the rack-and-return method (Delestage) favored by many top Bordeaux chateaux. During this process we rack the fermenting wine into an empty tank, allowing the cap to settle to the bottom. We then return the wine back to that original tank, splashing the juice over the cap. This helps to develop deeper color and greater flavor extraction. It also gives us the opportunity to remove seeds, which can add harsh tannins to a finished wine. After a 14-day maceration, the wine was transferred to a combination of new and used American (63%) French (35%) and Hungary (1%) oak barrels. To preserve the wine's bright fruit and rich texture, it was bottled unfiltered.

WINEMAKER NOTES

Our goal with our Family tier is to create wines that are pure, forward, fruit-driven and delicious. The 2003 merlot is dark, rich, lush and remarkably smooth. It delivers the cedar, plum, ripe cherry and cassis character one associates with this noble grape.

HARVEST DETAILS

Date: Sept 6- Oct 30, 2003
Brix: 24.9

WINE INFORMATION

Composition: 100% Merlot
Barrel Aging: 7 months in French & American Oak. 100% New Oak
Alcohol: 13.5%
Total Acidity: 0.55g/100ml
Cases: 31,825
Release Date: August 2004