Airfield Estates Merlot
WHY WE LOVE IT
- 100% Estate Grown.
- Sourced from some of the best performing Merlot blocks on the estate vineyard, this wine is made with the goal of creating a world class Merlot bountiful in flavor with lush tannins and well-integrated oak.
- Airfield Merlot will be age worthy and enjoyable in its youth and will be a wine that will make a lasting impression.
Varietal: 100% Merlot
Elaboration: The grapes were destemmed and sorted using an optical sorter. Cold soaked for 48 hours to help extract color without the interfer- ence of fermentation, the grapes were then warmed up and inoculated with several strains of yeast. Our extraction protocol incorporates an aggressive approach early on to achieve desired flavor, aroma and color before alcohol levels start to increase. Once alcohol is present around 9-10%, we take a much gentler approach to prevent over extraction and to maintain a lush, round mouthfeel. Fermented dry on the skins for 16 days, the wine was then sent to a variety of French oak barrels and inoculated for malolactic fermentation. After malolactic fermentation was complete, over the next three months the wines lees were stirred twice a month and the barrels topped to ensure healthy aging. Stirring of the wines lees naturally softens the wine while helping to build structure and round- ness while enhancing the mouthfeel. Overall, the wine was aged in 100% French oak for 17 months with 36% being new French oak, 34% 2-3-year-old French oak, and 30% neutral French oak.
Tasting Notes: This medium to full-bodied Merlot displays an abundance of dark fruit aromas. Layers of black cherry, dark cassis, sweet plum and smoked figs unite with more complex notes of dark espresso and salted toffee. On the palate, the wine shows finesse, balance, and roundness. Smooth, supple tannins frame the way for lingering secondary flavors of blackberry jam, vanilla bean, sweet cocoa, and toasted oak. Enjoy now through 2035 with optimal maturity peaking around 2030.
PRESS
2021 – 90 Paul Gregutt | 90 Wine Enthusiast – Best Buy!
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Airfield Estates is a fourth-generation family vineyard based in the Yakima Valley, Washington. Today the winery is overseen by brother-sister duo Marcus Miller and Lori Stevens. The siblings prepared themselves for this endeavor. Marcus pursued an MBA in Finance and a degree in Viticulture and Enology, interning at Canoe Ridge in Walla Walla, he also worked as winemaker at Tsilan Cellars in Chelan and harvester at Montana Brancott Winery in Marlborough, New Zealand. Laurie obtained a Master’s in Wine Business from the University of Adelaide in Adelaide, South Australia, with a background in retail distribution management..
Prior to its farming days, Airfield Estates operated as a training base for hundreds of Army Air Corps pilots during World War II. The airbase closed in 1944, and the airplane hangars and other buildings were auctioned off to the Miller family for $1. The ranch produced alfalfa, asparagus, potatoes, onions, and oats, as well as cattle and hogs. Founder H. Lloyd Miller’s entrepreneurial spirit brought him in contact with President Roosevelt to find the funding for the Rosa Canal Project in the Yakima Valley, enabling irrigation water access from the high mountains to the soon-to-be established 830-acre winery. In 1967, Don Miller, the current owner’s grandfather, planted three “test” varietals, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, which would lead to more than 20 different varietals being greenhouse-propagated and commercially planted by 1971 as the oldest established AVA in Washington State.