Novelty Hill Merlot 2016, Columbia Valley, Washington

2016 vintage – 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasting notes: Fresh and expressive, with generous wild cherry, raspberry and mocha aromas and flavors that gain complexity across a richly textured mid-palate. Lush and supple, with a layered finish that lasts. – Mike Januik, Winemaker. Vineyard: The Columbia Valley is a diverse growing region that provides a wide range of fruit expressions to yield multilayered wines. For this Merlot, winemaker Mike Januik blended barrels from Novelty Hill’s estate vineyard Stillwater Creek on the Royal Slope of the Frenchman Hills, along with select lots from the Horse Heaven Hills and the Tri-Cities area to create a rich, balanced wine. Winemaking: Gentle pump overs during fermentation were used to submerge the skins and extract color and flavor from the grapes. Gravity-racked every five months to soften and clarify the wine. Aged 19 months in new and used barrels, 75% French oak, 25% American oak