A cabbish Merlot
06/13/2018
“This Merlot is the Cabbish Merlot I’ve had”
Laughter erupted in the tasting room recently when a taster described our Merlot as the most 'cabbish' wine on the bar. Merlot that is grown in warm climates with some moisture and warm nights is full of fruit and lighter on the tannins and body that folks associate with a Cabernet. Washington provides the perfect growing conditions for a full flavored Merlot. Outsiders tend to think of Washington as a gray and rainy place, but that's not true of the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains where most wine grapes are grown. Lying at the same latitude as the grape's Bordeaux homeland, Washington's longer days and cool nights improve on those ancestral French growing conditions. The wind, cold nights and arid climate all play a role in gently stressing the grapes, keeping their skins thick and their flavors concentrated. The end result is a grape with much greater winemaking potential than their cousins grown in less-challenging environments. The conclusion – don’t pass on the Merlot in Washington.
Post By:
Allison VanArnam