Mercer Estates is proud to call the fertile, sandy soils of Eastern Washington home. The foundation vineyards of Mercer Estates lie in the idyllic Horse Heaven Hills appellation, on the same land that we’ve farmed since 1886. The majority of our red wine grapes and some of our white wine grapes are grown right here, on the Mercer Canyons farm. In our farming and winery practices, we uphold the long-standing belief that sustainability and conservation are the single most important factors in the continued success of our operation.
Description
The grapes for this Chardonnay come primarily from Zephyr Ridge Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills. Once at the winery, the grapes went directly to the press where the juice was gently pressed away from the skins. The juice was allowed to cold settle for two days before racking. Approximately 75% of the juice was fermented in Burgundian oak barrels and 25% in stainless steel tanks. Two-thirds of the barrels were inoculated for malolactic fermentation to create a creamy mouth-feel. The barrels were hand stirred on a weekly basis over the next four months to help contribute to the rich, creamy mouth-feel. The portion of the wine in stainless steel was prevented from going through malolactic fermentation to retain the bright acidity.
Description
The grapes for this Merlot come from our estate vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills. The Merlot came from our Princeton Vineyard, the Syrah from Dead Canyon and the Cabernet Sauvignon from Big Teepee Vineyard. Grapes were individually harvested over several weeks and fermented separately to preserve the individual character of the vineyards. The wine was gently presse3d off of the skins before it underwent malolactic fermentation in barrels. The wines were aged for over 20 months in a combination of French and American oak prior to blending.
Description
The grapes for this wine come from our acclaimed estate vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills. At the winery individual lots were fermented in stainless steel tanks. Twice daily pump overs allowed gentle extraction of color and tannins. After draining the wine and pressing the skins, the wine was racked to a blend of French and American oak barrels for malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged in barrel for 20 months before being blended together.