Chateau Sainte Michelle Merlot Columbia Valley Washington State
Where it's from:
USA, Washington State, Columbia Valley
Price per case:
£125.33
Bottles per case:
12 x 75 cl
Style:
Soft & Supple Reds
Description:
Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington state's oldest and most acclaimed winery it is located in historic grounds near Seattle. Here the winery combines Old World winemaking tradition with New World innovation. This wine comes from the Columbia Valley vineyards which lie in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains and receive just 6-8 inches of rainfall annually. Sandy soils with low fertility and low water-holding capacity enable precise control of vine growth. Warm, sunny days and cool evening temperatures create ideal conditions for intense aroma and flavour development in the ripening grapes. Additionally, a northerly latitude gives the Columbia Valley roughly two more hours of sunlight daily during the peak-growing season than California, increasing the region's ability to ripen fruit. The Grapes were destemmed, crushed and inoculated with Premier Cuvee yeast to initiate fermentation. Fermentation continued for 11 days with twice-daily pumpovers to gently extract colour and flavour and produce soft, supple tannins. The wine was then 100% barrel aged for 14 months in French and Hungarian oak. This wine is a blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. A real mouthful of bold, rich and concentrated flavours of blackberry, black currant, vanilla and chocolate. Smooth and polished, the tannins are supple and well integrated with bright fruit acidity, and the flavours extend into a long, complex finish. (12 x 75 cl)
Region:
USA, Washington State, Columbia Valley
Producer:
Chateau Ste Michelle
Product ID:
48046
Chateau Sainte Michelle COLD CREEK Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Washington State
Description: ChateauSte. Michelle is Washington state's oldest and most acclaimed winery it is located in historic grounds near Seattle. Here the winery combines Old World winemaking tradition with New World innovation. Planted in 1973, the south-facing Cold Creek Vineyard is a warm, dry site with high heat accumulation. The low yielding old vines produce small clusters and small berries, resulting in intense varietal flavours and deep colour. The site's weak, loamy sand and gravel soils with lowwater-holding capacity produce moderate crops and concentrated grapes, while Cold Creek typically is one of the earliest vineyards in the region to ripen. Ripe grapes were destemmed, crushed and inoculated with various strains of yeast to maximize complexity. Twice-daily gentle pumpovers were used to extract optimal flavour and colour and minimize harsh tannins. Finally, the wine is aged for 21 months in 58% new French and 33% new American oak, and 9% in older French and American barrels. This wine is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot and 2% Malbec. The Cabernet grapes from the 30-year-old Cold Creek Vineyard deliver concentrated blackberry, dark chocolate and vanilla aromas with hints of earth and oak. The wine is intense, extracted and rich in flavours and texture culminating in a long finish. (6 x 75 cl) Price: £104.44
Add
Chateau Sainte Michelle COLD CREEK Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Washington State
To Basket
Chateau Sainte Michelle STIMSON ESTATE CELLARS Merlot Washington
Description: ChateauSte. Michelle, Washington state's oldest winery are behind Stimson Estate Cellars. The wines are crafted from ripe, flavourful grapes from vineyards in the Columbia Valley in eastern Washington state. These prime eastern Washington vineyards lie at the same northerly latitude as France's renowned wine regions, as well as providing more hours of grape-maturing sunlight during the growing season than in southern vineyards. The vineyards are located between two coastal mountain ranges and provide ample protection from western Washington's cool, wet weather, yielding over 300 days of sunshine and less than ten inches of rain per year. The warm, sunny days and cool nights during the growing season create ideal conditions for producing grapes with intense aromas and flavours. Washington state is famed for its flavour-packed, award-winning Merlots, and this blend of 95% Merlot and a little Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc exhibits traditional raspberry and cherry characters with a touch of vanilla and toast on the smooth finish. (6 x 75 cl) Price: £43.97
Add
Chateau Sainte Michelle STIMSON ESTATE CELLARS Merlot Washington
