2014 Meritage
Tasting Notes & Food Pairing
The 2014 vintage of our flagship Meritage opens with notes of crushed black cherries and soft leather with hints of toffee and beef broth on the nose. The palate follows through with firm wood tannins and black fruits flavors of currant and licorice that finishes with a buttery plum-like tingle that dances on the tip of your tongue. Pair this wine with lean meats like filet mignon, bold blue cheeses, roasted eggplant, and caramel infused chocolates.
Best enjoyed at 55° - 60°f
Suggested drink window: now - 2028
Winemaking
• 52.5% Merlot, 42.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
• Vineyard locations: 90% east side of Seneca Lake, 10% west side of Cayuga Lake
• Hand harvested October
• Unfined & unfiltered
• Vegan
• Brix: 22.0 - 24.0° • pH: 3.65 • TA: 6.3 g/L • RS: 0.2% • ABV: 13.3% • Bottled: 8/11/2016
• Cases Produced: 215
2014 Tech Sheet
2014 Vintage Notes
Ever so gently the spring of 2014 tip-toed in with a very enthusiastic welcome, from both grape-growers and from the vines themselves. The long and harsh winter - both in terms of temperatures and snowfall - reduced the potential crop yields early in the season. With fewer initial clusters, vines were able to deliver a more focused flow of energy and nutrients to the remaining ripening fruit. The Finger Lakes saw spring and summer days with temperatures regularly vacillating from
cool to hot with intermittent showers, creating constant shifts and activity in the vineyards as our grapes inched towards maturity. Each hand-harvested vineyard brought fruit to our winemakers that demonstrated playful acidity, promising flavors, and tremendous quality.
