This Merlot was created by a team of winemaker Michel Rolland of Michel Rolland, who serves as a consultant to many of the world's top wineries, and Washington state wine visionary Allen Shoop.
Michel Rolland, Pomerol winemaker and consultant to the world's top wineries, provides the vision for this special limited release wine.
This gorgeous wine has a core of dark cherry aromas and ripe blackberry flavors framed by bittersweet chocolate and delightful graphite notes.
It has a seamless and well-balanced texture, with a rich mouthfeel from the entry to the mid-palate, lingering on the finish.
The grapes are sourced primarily from Weinbow Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope in the warmer Columbia Valley, producing a Merlot that is layered with fresh, dark fruit flavors and beautiful aromas.
Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon gives the wine structure, while a little Malbec from Sonnet Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills adds concentration and subtle violet notes.
2019 was a year of outstanding red wines of exceptional quality and consistency.
The season started slowly.
Unexpected late winter snow held up until mid-March, resulting in delayed soil warming.
Bud break was also late in April, but temperatures rose in May and flowering accelerated.
The weather was mild throughout the summer, with no sudden increases in temperature.
The mild temperatures continued into autumn.
Although the grapes ripened late, this allowed the fruit to reach perfect physiological maturity, resulting in a vintage that stood out for its freshness and elegance.
The hand-harvested grapes were sorted twice before fermentation to remove stems that can impart harsh tannins.
Most of the lots were then cold soaked to develop richness and flavor before whole-cluster fermentation in 1,500 gallon upright French wood tanks.
Gentle pump-overs during fermentation enhance color and add richness to the flavor.
The finished wine is then aged for 22 months in French oak barrels (85% new) from two of the highest quality coopers, Sylvain and Millet, located next to Michel Rolland's hometown of Saint-Emilion.
Long Shadows was founded in 2002 by Washington wine visionary Allen Shoop.
Shoop served as President and CEO of Chateau Ste. Michelle from 1984 to 2000, where he developed international winemaking partnerships with world-renowned Italian Piero Antinori (Col Solare) and German Dr. Loosen (Eroica Riesling).
Building on this success, Long Shadows was established to bring an elite group of great winemakers from the world's major wine regions to Washington State to create world-class wines that showcase the excellence of Washington State's Columbia Valley grape growing region.
Each winemaker partners individually with Shoop and the winery's resident winemaker, Jill Nicoll, to create their own quintessential, top-quality wine using their own vinification techniques and bottled in their own unique style.