Wine Color: Red

Vintage: 2008

Varietals: Merlot

Appellation: 86% Livermore Valley, San Francisco Bay, 14% Arroyo Seco, Monterey

Winemaker: Karl D. Wente

Alcohol: 13.5

PH: 3.64

Acid: 0.56

Residual Sugar: Dry

Vineyard:

The grapes for our Sandstone Merlot come from a gently sloping formation of hills running along the southeastern corner of the historic Livermore Valley.  With warm days, cool nights, well-drained sandstone soils, and incoming breezes from the San Francisco Bay, the Wente family’s hillside vineyard is an ideal place to grow outstanding Merlot.

Fermentation:

Each vineyard was harvested and fermented separately in upright stainless steel fermenters.  Rack and return, which is the process of draining all of the free-run juice off the cap and then returning the free-run juice back over the top of the fermenter, was performed twice daily.  This method increases the color and tannin extractions and improves mouthfeel through the integration of oxygen.

Aging:

This wine was aged for 21 months in American, French, Eastern European, and neutral oak.