Newton Vineyard Unfiltered Merlot, Napa Valley

Description

Newton Vineyard Unfiltered Merlot is made in the Napa Valley at Newton Vineyard, a winery which is recognised as one of the pioneers of unfiltered wines in California.

Newton Vineyard was established in 1977 by Dr. Su Hua and Peter Newton who recognized the potential of Spring Mountain as a prime viticultural region and it is widely acclaimed as a California wine trailblazer. It was one of the wineries on Spring Mountain, a rugged yet serene appellation located west of St. Helena on the eastern flank of the Mayacamas range which separates Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

The first vintage of wine was made in 1979. The estate now covers some 120 acres and is planted with 112 distinct vineyard blocks planted to a specific varietal – Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon or Petit Verdot. These parcels reflect distinct soil types, sun exposures and individual microclimates. The current winemaker is Chris Millard.

Newton Vineyard Unfiltered Merlot 2012 is a blend of 88% Merlot, 8% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot. The grapes are sorted using an optical sorter to ensure only the best, ripest berries are used. The must undergoes a 5 day cold soak followed by seven days of fermentation with wild yeast, native to Newton’s Spring Mountain Estate. The wine is aged for 16 months in French oak, 40% of which is new and then bottled unfiltered to preserve the natural fruit essence and to foster the wine’s unique aroma and flavour.