The Mark Merlot-Cabernet Washington state

The wine:

The Mark Merlot-Cabernet grapes originate from selected parcels at Airport Ranch Vineyard in the heart of the Yakima Valley in Washington State. The fully ripe grapes are harvested, the two grape varieties are macerated separately, in order to get the best out of the grapes' aromas. Fermentation takes place with the skins for 12-16 days. The skins are then removed, which are carefully pressed to get the last wine out of the grapes. The malolactic fermentation takes place in a mixture of new French oak casks, approx. 25% and the 75 % in casks that are 3-5 years old. The precipitate is then stirred twice a month for three months. This makes the wine round with a natural softness in the wine. The wine matures for 16 months before the wine is finished for bottling.

Year 2018:

2018 was a classic Washington State vintage with a mild winter and an extremely hot summer. The spring was mild and temperatures in March/April were slightly above average with budding in mid-April in Airport Ranch's vineyards. A warm spring gave the grapes perfect growth opportunities. The heat of the day and the cool nights accelerated ripening and growth in the vineyards to an unprecedented degree, producing a perfect vintage. The hot summer ripened the grapes to a much greater extent than in 2017 and 2016. The red grape varieties gave wines full of aromas of dark fruit and with silky tannins. The 2018 vintage can be enjoyed for many years after harvest.

The wine house:

In collaboration with Airport Ranch Vineyards, we have developed the series "The Mark", which leaves a clear fingerprint on American wine. The grapes are harvested in the exciting wine region Yakima Valley in Washington State, where the 300 days of sunshine develop the grapes to perfection.