- Blend
- 95% Merlot
5% Cabernet Franc - Total Acidity
- 0.59 g/100ml
- pH
- 3.65
- Alcohol
- 14.2%
- Barrel Aging
- 18 months
French and American oak
2006 ReserveBlock 08 Merlot
"This powerful Merlot offers intense blackberry, licorice and spice aromas, which introduce a balanced, velvety palate of sumptuous chocolate and blackberry flavors that culminate in a seductive, silky finish." - Ray Einberger, Winemaker
Four Feathers is a high-elevation, low-yielding site in the Yakima Valley. The vineyard’s Block 08 Merlot vines are nestled against a softly sloping hill in sandy loam soils and yield an average of only two tons per acre. This ensures small cluster and berry sizes, resulting in deeply colored wines with intense varietal flavors. The diurnal variation between warm daytime temperatures and cool evenings further helps concentrate aromas while enhancing complexity.
The grapes were hand-picked, with 30% retained as whole berries to enhance fruitiness. Cold soaking the juice on the skins for two days prior to fermentation extracted soft tannins and intense color.
Aging in a mix of new and mature oak for 18 months further refined this powerful, yet supple merlot.