Harvest Dates: 9/24/03 to 10/23/03 Six Vineyards Harvested
Barrel Ageing: 20 months in 80% new oak (50% French, 50% American)
Cases Produced: 1368 Six Packs
Tasting Notes
An elegant wine fine-tuned to perfection, this Meritage blend has layers of depth and complexity. Ripe notes of cherry and blackberry open to spicy aromas of mint and cinnamon, with an appealing cocoa overtone. Full-bodied, it has intense plum and berry flavors, firm acidity, creamy structure and a lengthy finish of tar and toast. A gem to put down in your cellar for up to ten years, it will pair nicely with a wide range of cuisine, from Cajun-style fish to spicy beef stew.
Vintage
2003 gave us a difficult growing season, but quality seems to be quite good as a result of judicious vineyard practices throughout the year. A late start in the vineyard because of cool spring temperatures gave way to a warm summer that was marked by several small rain events and a number of heat spikes. The fall weather was very nice, maintaining warm weather that fully ripened everything by the end of October, before the first rains. Overall, the vintage produced wines with loads of fruit and above average ripeness and alcohol levels.
Winemaking
One of the most fun and fulfilling aspects of winemaking is preparing the final blend for the reserve Bordeaux bottling. Selecting from the best barrels of each lot, this exciting wine represents six vineyards, including two Cabernet Sauvignons. The estate Cab from the calcareous soils on the west side of Paso Robles, and the majority from the renowned Lock Vineyard. The other varietals are all from the cool Templeton Gap area. Fermented to emphasize fruit and softness, each lot was barrelaged separately, and blended for balance immediately prior to bottling.
2003 Crescendo™
