2009 Chalk Hill Chairman's Merlot-Malbec
| Vintage: | 2009 |
| Wine Type: | Red Wine |
| Varietal: | Malbec-Merlot |
| Varietal Composition: | |
| 82% | Merlot |
| 18% | Malbec |
| Harvest Date: | October 8 & 22, 2009 |
| PH: | 3.87 |
| Barrel Aging: | |
| 20 Months | |
| 100% | French Oak |
| 67% | New Barrels |
| Fermentation: | 100% malolactic fermentation with bâtonnage |
| Bottling Date: | June 23, 2011, unfined and unfiltered |
| Alcohol %: | 15.4 |
| Tasting Notes: | Our 2009 Merlot/Malbec is wonderfully plush and velvety. The aromas are fruit focused with Bing cherries, raspberries, tobacco, lavender and toast. The palate is lavish and juicy with bright fruit, ripe berries and sweet oak. This is a generous wine that should continue to improve for the next decade. |
| Vineyard Notes: | All of the Merlot and a portion of the Malbec in this wine came from our original estate vineyard. This site features a number of blocks with shallow, clay soils that accentuate the structure and backbone of softer varieties like Merlot and Malbec. This wine also incorporates some Malbec from our 56-acre Estate West vineyard located on a contiguous piece of property just across Chalk Hill Road. The lower, west-facing areas of Estate West offer clay, rock and loam soils that are perfect for Malbec. To preserve the long-term viability of the ecosystem, all of our vineyards are maintained using low-input, sustainable viticultural practices. |
| Production Notes: | The 2009 season was cool and arid with few heat spikes. A warm spell in September helped spur the ripening process. Overall, the cool weather throughout the growing season yielded wines that are intensely flavored and well structured. The grapes were hand harvested October 8th and 22nd and cold soaked prior to fermentation to increase color and flavor extraction. Yields were extremely low averaging a mere 1.7 tons per acre. After fermentation the wine was aged in French oak barrels, 67% new, for 20 months. To preserve the texture and aromatics, the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. |
Our 2009 Merlot/Malbec is wonderfully plush and velvety. The aromas are fruit focused with Bing cherries, raspberries, tobacco, lavender and toast. The palate is lavish and juicy with bright fruit, ripe berries and sweet oak. This is a generous wine that should continue to improve for the next decade.
All of the Merlot and a portion of the Malbec in this wine came from our original estate vineyard. This site features a number of blocks with shallow, clay soils that accentuate the structure and backbone of softer varieties like Merlot and Malbec. This wine also incorporates some Malbec from our 56-acre Estate West vineyard located on a contiguous piece of property just across Chalk Hill Road. The lower, west-facing areas of Estate West offer clay, rock and loam soils that are perfect for Malbec. To preserve the long-term viability of the ecosystem, all of our vineyards are maintained using low-input, sustainable viticultural practices.
The 2009 season was cool and arid with few heat spikes. A warm spell in September helped spur the ripening process. Overall, the cool weather throughout the growing season yielded wines that are intensely flavored and well structured. The grapes were hand harvested October 8th and 22nd and cold soaked prior to fermentation to increase color and flavor extraction. Yields were extremely low averaging a mere 1.7 tons per acre. After fermentation the wine was aged in French oak barrels, 67% new, for 20 months. To preserve the texture and aromatics, the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
