<h1>2000 Northstar Merlot , Columbia Valley -- Northstar Winery Shopping Cart</h1> <b>$41.00</b> -- <i>"Big structure with smooth tannins and beautiful oak flavors in the finish."<br /><br />Current Club Selection</i> <p> <img src="https://store.nexternal.com/northstar/images/nor_cv_merlot_bottle.jpg" align="right" alt="2000 Northstar Merlot , Columbia Valley" name="2000 Northstar Merlot , Columbia Valley" border="0" hspace="10" /> <p><strong>Tasting Notes</strong>&nbsp; <br />&#8220;Power and finesse come to mind when tasting this wine. Big structure with smooth tannins and beautiful oak flavors in the finish. Ripe plum and concentrated dark ripe fruit such as raspberry, blackberry and cherry explode in the mouth.&#8221; &#8211; <em>David &#8220;Merf&#8221; Merfeld, Winemaker<strong></strong></em></p> <p><strong>Vintage Overview</strong>&nbsp; <br /></p> <ul> <li>Overall, the growing season had moderate temperatures and almost no rainfall, providing excellent conditions for the grapes to ripen to maturity.</li> <li>The month of August saw the onset of a prolonged period of warm, cloud free, sunny weather and low nighttime temperatures.</li> <li>A late-September cold front slowed down the ripening process and allowed grapes extended time on the vine.</li> <li>Winemakers characterize the 2000 harvest as exceptional for both quality and quantity.</li> </ul> <p><b>Vineyards</b> <br /></p> <ul> <li>For the 2000 vintage winemakers increased vineyard diversity for added complexity, selecting only the best vineyards in the Columbia Valley.</li> <li>Vines average 15 years old and yield grapes with concentrated varietal flavors of cherry and plum and elegant tannins.</li> <li>Diversity of vineyards is the backbone of this wine. Fruit from the vines of 10 different vineyards and 14 individual lots contribute to the final blend.</li> </ul> <p><b>Winemaking</b> <br /></p> <ul> <li>Ripe grapes were destemmed and crushed, leaving 25% whole berries intact, then inoculated with various strains of yeast, including Prise de Mousse and Fermirouge.</li> <li>Winemakers built upon fermentation techniques and their understanding of the vineyards used in the past to perfect each lot&#8217;s specific fermentation.</li> <li>All lots were fermented in 2.5 ton open top fermenters.</li> <li>The must was punched down 2-4 times per day to extract optimal flavor, tannin and color during the 5-day fermentation on the skins.</li> <li>Free run juice was racked to barrels to finish primary fermentation.</li> <li>Aged for 19 months in primarily French and some American oak, using 86% new and 14% one-year-old barrels.</li> <li>Type and age of barrel used for each individual vineyard wine lot was hand selected.</li> <li>Individual lots were racked every three months for clarity, with a total of 6 rackings.</li> <li>More than 18 individual lots and 12 blend possibilities were tasted for the final blend.</li> </ul> <p><b>Technical Data</b></p> <ul> <li>Total acidity 0.48 g/100ml</li> <li>pH 3.38</li> <li>Alcohol 14.8%</li> <li>Blend 79% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon<br /></li> </ul> </p> <p> <ul style="padding-left: 15px"> <li>SKU: 12210</li> </ul> </p> <p><b>Other products in the category <a href="http://store.northstarwinery.com/Category2" title="All Wines">All Wines</a>:</b> <br clear="left"><br /><ul style="padding-left: 15px"><li> <a href="http://store.northstarwinery.com/Product48" title="2006 Northstar Merlot , Walla Walla">2006 Northstar Merlot , Walla Walla</a> -- "Blackberry and bright cherry flavors are balanced into this satiny smooth, well structured Merlot..."</li></ul> <br clear="left"><br /><ul style="padding-left: 15px"><li> <a href="http://store.northstarwinery.com/Product50" title="2006 Northstar Stella Maris, Columbia Valley">2006 Northstar Stella Maris, Columbia Valley</a> -- "This medium-bodied, approachable wine opens with aromatics of blueberry and raspberry. 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