  A W a l l a W a l l a w i n e r y o f S t e. M i c h e l l e W i n e E s t a t e s 1736 J.B. George Road Tasting Room: See hours below
Email:
info@northstarmerlot.com
Home Page:
www.northstarmerlot.com
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| Capturing the Beauty of Washington Merlot | |||
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What if two veteran winemakers decided
to work together to start a Washington winery that would fully explore the
potential of Merlot -- the Columbia Valley's star grape variety. And
what if they crafted the wines for this winery from only the finest
of Merlot grapes beginning with the celebrated 1994 vintage, following
traditional Bordeaux protocol and keeping their production small? Northstar winery was founded under just such circumstances! Today, the Northstar team of winemakers, under the consultation of renowned California winemaker Jed Steele, are proving their dedication to producing the world's best Merlot and showcasing Columbia and Walla Walla Valley grapes. Each year, the winemakers create Northstar's Bordeaux-style Merlot by individually fermenting and aging dozens of small lots of Washington merlot wine – all carefully selected for their unique aromas, flavors, tannins and/or structure they bring to the wine.Underscoring the winery's commitment to quality, Northstar first announced its plans to plant 30 acres of prime vineyards and build a winery in Walla Walla, Washington, in February 2001. The Walla Walla Valley was identified as the premier location for a winery dedicated to Merlot, because of |
the region’s accomplished vintners and the international reputation they have earned for a lush, rich style of Merlot. The new vineyard and winery are located on property near Pepper Bridge Winery on J.B. George Road, south of Walla Walla. Construction on Northstar's state-of-the-art winery began in the summer of 2001 and was completed in time for the 2002 crush. Most vintages of Northstar Merlot have a generous amount of Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that adds to the wine's structure. The result is a Merlot with the unmistakable power of Columbia Valley grapes and a seductive display of rich fruit flavors, judiciously balanced with firm tannins and polished oak. Grapes are sourced from a variety of proven vineyard sites in diverse growing regions. Each carefully selected vineyard block brings added dimension and complexity to the wine. Production is extremely limited, allowing the winemakers ample time to lavish attention on their wine -- wine commonly described as “rich and velvety in texture... substantial depth and structure.”
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Featured Northstar Wines
2003 Northstar Merlot Fruit from 11 separate Columbia Valley vineyards and 18 individual
blocks contributed to the final blend of 82% Merlot, 15% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot. 14.6% alcohol, Vineyards: Diverse vineyards and sub-appellations within the Columbia Valley. Vines average 15 years old and yield grapes with concentrated varietal flavors of cherry and plum with elegant tannins. Winemaking: At harvest, grapes were held separately, destemmed and crushed with 25% whole berries remaining. Grapes fermented on the skins for five days with daily punch downs to extract flavor, colors and fine tannins. The wine was placed into French (70%) and American (30%) oak barrels where it underwent malolactic fermentation. The barrel rotation included 70% new barrels. The lots aged separately for 18 months with barrel-to-barrel racking occurring at three month intervals. Winemaker Notes: Structured with power and elegance. The rich, concentrated front and middle palates roll seamlessly into the generous, silky finish. Aromatics and flavors offer concentrated black cherry, plums and currants.
2003 Northstar Merlot Fruit from 11 distinct Walla Walla Valley vineyard blocks contributed to the final blend of 84% Merlot; 12% Cabernet Sauvignon; 4% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol 14.4%, pH 3.77. Vineyards: Diverse vineyards and sub-appellations within the Columbia Valley. Vines average 15 years old and yield grapes with concentrated varietal flavors of cherry and plum with elegant tannins. Winemaking: Fermented juice was racked into barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation, followed by racking every three months for clarity during the 17-month aging process in 65% French and 35% American oak (65% new barrels). Winemaker Notes: Dusty malt, dried herbs and bright cherry flavors are balanced well into this smoothly-structured wine that concludes with a supple, lingering finish.
2002 Stella Maris Fruit from the vines of eight different vineyards and 12 individual blocks contribute to the final blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon; 44% Merlot; 5% Malbec. Alcohol 14.4%, pH 3.89. Vineyards: Northstar winemakers and Jed Steele selected Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec from the best vineyards in the Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley. Vines are 5 to 20 years old and yield grapes with concentrated varietal flavors of cherry and plum. Winemaking: After primary fermentation, the wine was racked into barrels for integration and mellowing of tannins. Aged for 18 months in primarily French and some American oak, using mostly new and some one-year-old barrels. Individual lots were racked every three months for clarity for a total of six rackings Winemaker Notes: A well-balanced, approachable Bordeaux-style blend layered with attractive, ripe plum, cherry and black currant flavors and notes of vanilla, cloves and chocolate. The addition of Malbec gives this wine a lush mouthfeel and contributes to the generous finish.
  
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