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Chelsea Goldschmidt - Merlot - Guidestone Rise 2014
- Producer Goldschmidt Vineyard
- Country USA
- Region California
- Appellation Alexander Valley
- UPC 8-32095-00912-1
Tasting notes
Style emphasis is on harvesting a little later to gain full physiological ripeness and flavor, thus producing an inky colored wine that is full-bodied with moderate alcohol. The palate is lush with velvety tannins and intense plum and blackberry fruit.
Chelsea Merlot
Named after Nick Goldschmidt’s eldest daughter, Chelsea Merlot highlights the juicy red fruit and spice notes from barrel aged Merlot. Sourced from a vineyard along Route 128 just east of Geyserville, Chelsea Merlot is big and rich and pairs well with beef and lamb. One sip and it's obvious this Merlot is made with Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers in mind.
Technical notes
Vintage: 2014
Appellation: 100% AV
Varietal: 100% Merlot
Clone: 337 / 181
Yield: 4.0 tons per acre, by hand
pH: 3.62
Total Acidity: 6.0 g/l
Alc %: 14.5
Fermentation: 100% Barrel
Aging: 60% French
20% America
20% Hungarian
12 months, 25% new
ML Complete: Yes
Filtered: Yes
Fined: No
Appellation: 100% AV
Varietal: 100% Merlot
Clone: 337 / 181
Yield: 4.0 tons per acre, by hand
pH: 3.62
Total Acidity: 6.0 g/l
Alc %: 14.5
Fermentation: 100% Barrel
Aging: 60% French
20% America
20% Hungarian
12 months, 25% new
ML Complete: Yes
Filtered: Yes
Fined: No
Vintage notes
An easygoing growing season got off to an early start and was moderately warm all year but not in the volume of the abundant 2012 and 2013 vintages. A moderate winter in January and February saw growth in the vineyards develop quickly, leading to an early bud-break in mid-March. A warm, relatively dry spring through April and May meant quick flowering, hindered by only a few days of cold, wet weather. Warmer temperatures returned, just in time for a very even fruit-set throughout May and early June. Warm days followed during veraison in July and extremely dry weather continued throughout July and August. Two weeks of cool, foggy weather at the end of August temporarily slowed down this rapid growth cycle, before a heat wave over Labor Day weekend boosted ripening. The result of this overall accelerated growing season meant that harvest came early when we picked our first grapes during the first week of September, about 10 days earlier than usual. We were down about 8 percent from 2013's record high crop. The 2014 harvest is the third largest on record.
