2006 Meritage (Hall Ranch)

This classic blend of four noble grapes produces a wine of finesse and character featuring our estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot.

This classic blend of four noble grapes produces a wine of finesse and character featuring our estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot.

Wine Profile

Tasting Notes
Our 2006 Meritage presents elegant aromas of black currant, cassis and ripe plum, complemented by intriguing earthy nuances of cedar and chocolate. The color is deep ruby red, dense, and reflects the intensity of this vintage, the vineyard, and the careful selection of our finest lots. On the palate the wine shows exceptional depth of flavor with firm but velvety tannins. This classic blend of four noble grapes produces a wine of finesse and character featuring our estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot.

Ratings
88+ Score - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, November 2009

Awards
GOLD MEDAL- San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 2010 Critics Silver - Critics Challenge International Wine Competition 2010 Silver Medal - Dallas Morning News Wine Competition 2009 Silver Medal - Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo International Wine Competition 2010 Silver Medal - San Diego International Wine Competition 2010 Silver Medal - Central Coast Wine Competition 2010

Vineyard Notes
The 2006 vintage was a season of extremes in Paso Robles. We began with a spring with a normal amount of precipitation. This rain along with moderate spring temperatures provided the vines with the conditions needed to grow a well-balanced canopy and set an average crop. From here conditions became brutal, temperatures set records for the month of July with the overall average for the month being the highest ever. Crop water and heat stress was managed by carefully monitoring irrigations and by thinning the crop. Following this heat, we experienced the coolest August ever recorded in Paso. The weather was so cool that some areas lacked adequate heat units to ripen their crops. Fortunately we had adjusted our crop early and had ample sugar building weather to ripen, allowing in long hang-time for excellent flavor maturity. The result of this vintage is deeply colored wines with excellent intensity of flavor. All of our Hall Ranch Vineyards unite to compose our 2006 Meritage. The Cabernet Sauvignon originates in the stony decomposed granite soils of our “Bench Vineyard,” which wraps around the winery overlooking Huerhuero Creek. The Cabernet Franc and Malbec are rooted in the sandy-loam soils of the “Brady” and “Terrace Vineyards,” found on the rolling terraces above the south bank of the Estrella River, while our Merlot develops in the heavy clay soils of the Templeton area of Paso Robles.

Production Notes
Our 2006 Meritage was produced from hand-harvested grapes picked in mid-September. Following harvest the grapes were crushed to small tanks and inoculated for fermentation. Fermentation and maceration lasted 10 days and was assisted by traditional hand pump-over to maximize color and flavor release. Subsequent to fermentation the wine was drawn off and the skins were pressed. After a short settling period the wine was racked into French oak barrels where it completed malolactic fermentation and matured for 20 months. Prior to bottling the wine received a final racking to stainless steel where the blend was assembled and the wine prepared for bottling.

Other Notes
57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec & 4% Merlot