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2005 Bismark Mountain Merlot
Ripe, bold and extracted with a big texture. Intense ruby/purple in color with an aroma of plum, oregano, maple syrup and manzanita smoke.
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Our sixty acre Bismark Mountain Vineyard is high above the City of Sonoma and San Pablo Bay. We began planting in 1991 and continue to fine tune our mix of cultivars to this day. Topographically it is similar to the Douro, windy and surprisingly cool. Bismark grudgingly produces grapes with intense, deeply concentrated flavors. Near the vineyard’s highest point we grow small blocks of Merlot at an elevation of 2500 feet. Block 24 is west facing. Block 8 is east facing. Block 24 is planted to clone 3 on St. George. Block 8 is planted to clone 3 on 110R. The soil is non-existent to shallow, with white volcanic Rhyolite predominating. The vines are vertically trained on 5 by 8 spacing.
The vintage was a challenging one. Abundant spring rains resulted in luxuriant growth requiring extra passes for canopy management. Windy weather during bloom moderated fruit set at Bismark. A moderate summer punctuated by a few hot days resulted in a much later harvest than 2004.
Ripe, bold and extracted with a big texture. Intense ruby/purple in color with an aroma of plum, oregano, maple syrup and manzanita smoke.
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