2007 Suisun Valley Merlot Rouge
The Blend: 100% Merlot
Winemaker: Matt Smith
Production: 350 cases
Winemaking: The Winterhawk Merlot Rouge is produce by crushing and de-stemming the fruit directly into the press. The mix of juice and grape skins, called “must,” is allowed to sit in the press for about three hours were it gently extracts color and flavor. The press is then rolled for an hour to gently extract as much free run as possible. We then run a gentle press cycle to extract a small amount of juice with heavier body. The Merlot juice was fermented cold at 57 degrees in stainless steel to preserve the fresh fruity character of the wine. We chose to use a yeast from Germany that promotes esters and floral notes. The wine was aged for two months at low temperatures to stabilize and was bottled with no malolactic to promote a higher acid mouth feel.
TECHNICAL DATA Alcohol: 13.5% TA: .61 PH: 3.60 Appellation: Suisun Valley Release Date: December 2007
The Wine: This stylish rose offers a rich, ripe nose of strawberries mixed with dark cherries and plums, leading to bright, juicy flavors of raspberries and passion fruit. Its lively acidity and slight sweetness make it a great choice for light dishes, or just to sip by itself.
Serve With: Serve slightly chilled and pair with cheeses and fresh summer salads.
Price: $16.00/bottle
