Raye's Hill 2003 Meritage

Vineyard and Winemaking Notes:
The red Meritage is a new wine for Raye's Hill. The 2003 Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon were blended to make this delightful Meritage. The Cabernet and 75% of the Merlot comes from the Rhodes Vineyard in Redwood Valley, which is owned by Richard and Annette Rhodes. Their Cabernet vines were planted in 1916. The other 25% of the Merlot came from the Cerise Vineyard owned by Cherry and Lindsay Jones, located on a south-facing slope in Anderson Valley.

The grapes were crushed and then cold soaked for 72 hours before being inoculated with yeast. After fermentation they are gently pressed and placed in French Oak barrels. A malolactic bacteria is added to induce a second fermentation. The wine was then aged for 17 months before being bottled.

Tasting Notes:
This is a wine with a deep garnet color and full ripe fruit aroma. The Meritage has dark fruit flavors of plum and cherry. It is a balanced complex wine, which you can drink now or put down for many years.

Technical Notes:

Appellation:	Mendocino County
Alcohol:	14.5%
pH:	3.44
Total Acidity:	0.703
Production:	391 cases