Use my current location
Region: Washington State - Yakima Valley
Grapes: 62% Merlot, Cabernet, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 14.2%
Notes on the Wine
This fine Bordeaux blend presents an array of black cherry, blackberry, and toasted oak with firm tannins that carry through to a long finish.
Notes on the Producer
For four generations, the Miller family has been farming in the Yakima Valley – Washington’s oldest established AVA and is home to some of the state’s finest vineyards. Situated along the anticlines of the Rattlesnake Mountains near a WWII airbase, the estate’s original vines date back to 1968. Over the years, the estate has expanded to include 26 different grape varieties and spans over 860 acres. Although most of the farm’s soils would be classified as Warden silty loam, areas of shallow rockier soils, as well as sandier sites add diversity. The dry climate and sustainable viticultural practices employed help maintain a disease free environment, so that the grapes can grow on their native rootstocks rather than grafted onto disease resistant rootstock.
For the whites, the fruit is whole cluster pressed, the juice settles for 48 hours before racking and the wines are fermented at 60 degrees in stainless steel to dryness after which SO2 is added and the temperature is reduced to 40 degrees. After racking, the wines are filtered and bottled in screw cap. The red grapes are sorted, destemmed and whole cluster pressed. The must is gently transferred to six-ton stainless steel tanks and one-ton stainless steel fermentors. Various extraction techniques including pump overs and rack and returns are used during fermentation. After fermentation, the must is pressed and allowed to settle for 48 hours before being transferred to oak barrels. Three different types of barrels are used (60% French, 30% American, and 10% Eastern European) and on average 25%-30% of the barrels are new. After malolactic, the wines are racked twice, blended, aged in barrel and racked every three months up until bottling.
