WINEMAKER: Janet Myers
APPELLATION: Napa Valley
BRIX AT HARVEST: 24° – 26°
VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec
FERMENTATION: Pre-fermentation cold soak of four days to enhance color and body. Fermentation and maceration averaging 22 days to build structure and integrate mouthfeel.
AGING: 20 months, in 89% new oak and 82% French oak barrels
pH: 3.73
TA: 5.9g/L
ALCOHOL: 14.5%
RELEASE DATE: July 2012
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2009
Napa Valley
Magnificat
Sensory Evaluation:
Appearance: Deep garnet
Aromas: Complex and inviting fruit aromas of cassis, ripe plum and blackberry. Hints of vanilla, cocoa, roasted coffee and truffles.
Flavors: Dark berries, cherries, mocha and sage. The finish is long and layered with toasty oak, sage and ripe plum.
Wine History:
Magnificat is one of the original Meritage blends in California, a wine Franciscan has proudly crafted since 1985. Named for J.S. Bach’s masterpiece, it is crafted to be as seamless and harmonious as its musical namesake. Sourced from over 200 small lots of red wine, Magnificat is created to showcase our finest Bordeaux blend of the vintage. Carefully assessing each lot as it ages in barrel, we create the blend with repeated trials and blind tastings. Depending on how the varieties express in a given year, the composition will be different, always shaped to provide consistency of style. The wine is founded on Cabernet Sauvignon, but true to Meritage, other Bordeaux varietals are added to give roundness, structure, and rich complexity.
Growing Season:
2009 was the third straight year of low rainfall, with a mild summer free of any major heat spikes, and consistently cool night temperatures. These perfect growing conditions led to even ripening in our
Bordeaux varietals, giving classic structure with rich, vibrant flavors. Warm stretches in both early and late September propelled the grapes to ripeness in an otherwise cool month. The Bordeaux reds were harvested on our Oakville Estate between September 24 and October 18. |
