Winemaker Notes
ABOUT THE VINTAGE
In Columbia Valley, 2002 proved to be a challenging year for early ripening
varieties such as Chardonnay, although our Merlot was not as affected. Very
warm growing conditions in late August and early September caused sugars to
accumulate quickly in the fruit. At our estate vineyard we compensated for
these warm conditions by continuing to irrigate the vines right up to the time
of harvest.
ABOUT THE VINEYARD
Our estate vineyard's unique location at a broad expanse of the Columbia
River in eastern Washington allows it to grow superior grapes. The vast river
moderates the temperature, extending the grapes' hangtime on the vines during
the long summer, yet protecting the vines in the winter. The vineyards' location
on the northeast side of the ridge protects it from wind damage. It is one
of the largest estate-owned single vineyards in the state. Due to the improvements
in winegrowing over the last 10 to 15 years, we are now growing better
balanced grapevines. These vines are less vigorous and don't draw up late season
water like the vines did in the past. The end result is that we can spoon
feed the vines water to slow down the sugar accumulation, allowing fruit flavor
development to catch up, which is exactly what happened in 2002.
ABOUT THE WINE
We fermented the wine in small lots, which allowed us to treat each one as a
unique expression of the vineyard. By using a variety of fermentation practices,
yeast strains and barrel coopers, we created individual components that we
carefully pieced together for the final blend. We used a minimum of fining and
filtration and we aged the wine in 85 percent French oak barrels for 20
months.
The resulting wine has elegant, classic flavors of rich, velvety Canby raspberry,
Bing and black cherry and Belgian chocolate.
FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS
Canoe Ridge Merlot is a great partner to a variety of foods. We have found
the balanced acidity and rich fruit in our Merlot pairs best with fattier meats
such as duck with cherry confit or Pacific Northwest salmon prepared on the
grill and served with garlic mashed potatoes.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.