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Toad Hollow Vineyards2000 Merlot Reserve, Richard McDowell Vineyard, Russian River ValleyWith visions of Pétrus dancing in our heads, we ripped out the apples and planted Merlot. That was a few years ago. Toad Hollow was in need of a big prestigious red wine to run with our Chardonnay. It gives us the greatest of pleasure to offer you the results of these years of work, high hopes, and omnipresent peril. This is our Merlot Reserve – planted, grown, and bottled by Toad Hollow. This is third vintage our first reserve wine. Merlot does best in sandy, clay-like soils as proven in France in Pomerol where it gives birth to the mighty Pétrus – the pinnacle of all Merlot wines. We had the soil, we had the cuttings, and we had the perfect moderate temperature range preferred by the Merlot grape to do its very best. We also had Richard McDowell. Richard McDowell has worked as a vineyardist in Sonoma County for over thirty years and has planted and developed over 3,000 acres of fine varietal grapes in that same time. Mr. McDowell tends our Merlot vineyard – so – we named the vineyard after Richard. No one was surprised. With all the elements in place we have created a Merlot of which we are very proud. It’s big and spicy but not as tannic as Cabernet Sauvignon. A gentle but sinuous noble red wine that welcomes most company with a warm generosity of flavor as well as the versatility of filling many sensory needs on many levels. This wine is a keeper and will age beautifully over ten to fifteen years. It sports the spontaneity of a young thoroughbred raring to run now but with the stamina to carry it easily into the next decade. Our production of the 2000 vintage is more than it has been in past vintages. For next year? That is up to the weather and Richard McDowell.
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| Toad Hollow
Vineyards Healdsburg, California Telephone: 707.431.1441 Copyright © 2003 Toad Hollow Vineyards, LLC. All rights reserved. |
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