Whom You Know: 2008 Horse Heaven Hills Merlot Highly Recommended by Whom You Know!!! Make Sure one of the 40,000 cases becomes yours!

Monday, October 18, 2010

2008 Horse Heaven Hills Merlot Highly Recommended by Whom You Know!!! Make Sure one of the 40,000 cases becomes yours!

The vineyards in Horse Heaven Hills are the source and inspiration behind the Horse Heaven Hills wines. The hills have been home to the Columbia Crest winery for more than two decades, and it is this heritage, combined with innovative winemaking and vineyard knowledge, that allow the winemaker to create wines that capture the unique terroir of the region. To truly enjoy the excellent Legal Sea Foods Ribeye we just wrote about:

http://www.whomyouknow.com/2010/10/peachys-pantry-legal-sea-foods-goes.html, you need an outstanding wine to go with it! The 2008 Columbia Crest Merlot is this.

The vineyard is named for the wild horses that once roamed it, and we love recommending American products: this is from Washington State. This has an outstanding blackberry flavor with a fresh, ripe finish that will delight you. The brilliant red invites you in and is not muted or less than enticing as some others we've seen. Like Peachy Deegan, it has great legs. When you notice the legs and inhale the aroma you smell cherries as well as blackberries. Balanced in nature, we do like this with steak but it would pair just as well with cocktail party fare. Whom You Know highly recommends the 2008 Horse Heaven Hills Merlot! One of the best Merlots we've tried in quite some time.

Growing Season

• A perfect ripening season with full crop yields and restrained sugar levels led to outstanding

wines from Washington state’s vineyards in 2008.

• Harvest began 10 days later than normal due to cool spring weather and a moderate

summer.

• Hot weather in August provided ideal ripening conditions for grapes across all varietals

and harvest was quickly ramped up in order to obtain fruit at the optimum ripeness.

Vineyards

• The Horse Heaven Hills vineyards are seated east of the Cascade Mountain range. Up to

14,000 feet high, the mountains effectively block eastward-moving wet weather systems

from the Pacific Ocean.

• The terrain consists of south-facing slopes that provide excellent sun exposure for grape

ripening, and good air drainage which protects the vineyards during the winter months.

• Well-drained sandy soils have low fertility and low water-holding capacity, allowing precise

control of vine growth patterns.

• Strong wind patterns, which are unique to the Horse Heaven Hills, reduce canopy size and

density, create better sun exposure, and contribute to even ripening by moderating tem

perature extremes.

Vinification

• Grapes were crushed at 30% whole-berry to retain the fruit quality.

• Fermentation lasted 7-14 days on the skins to extract optimum fruit and structural

components.

• Various yeasts were used to maintain fruit flavors and complexity.

• Malolactic fermentation occurred in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels. Blending occurred

shortly after malolactic fermentation.

• The wine was barrel aged in 33% new American and French oak, and 67% older oak for

14-18 months.

Vineyards: Horse Heaven Hills

Harvest Date: September 2008

Blend: Merlot

5% Cabernet Sauvignon

3% Cabernet Franc

A kiss of Syrah

Fermentation: 7-14 days on skins

Yeasts: PC

CSM

D254

FX10

Alcohol: 14.5%

Total Acidity: 0.56 g/100ml

pH: 3.70

Tasting Notes

“The H3 Merlot entices the nose with aromas of blueberry, cassis and hints of tobacco and

spice aromas. The silky and sweet mid-palate introduces slight dusty, earthy, and rich

berry notes which cumulate in the long and concentrated fi nish.”

-Ray Einberger, Winemaker

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