Chelsea Goldschmidt - Merlot - Guidestone Rise2015
RED WINE
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Producer
Goldschmidt Vineyard
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Country
USA
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Region
California
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Appellation
Alexander Valley
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UPC
8-32095-00912-1
Technical Details
Chelsea Goldschmidt
Named after Nick Goldschmidt’s eldest daughter, Chelsea Merlot highlights the juicy red fruit and spice notes from barrel aged Merlot. Sourced from a beautiful vineyard along Route 128 just east of Geyserville, Chelsea Merlot is big and rich and pairs well with wood fired pizza, steak tacos, and grilled pork chops. One sip and it’s obvious this Merlot is made with Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers in mind.
Tasting notes
Dark garnet; cherry, strawberry, and white pepper aromas. Entry is broad and expansive with black cherry, wild blackberry, rhubarb, and ripe plum. Velvety smooth and rich on the mid-palate. Finishes with spicy notes of clove and cinnamon.
Technical notes
Vintage: 2015
Appellation: 100% AV
Varietal: 100% Merlot
Clone: 337 / 181
Yield: 3.3 tons per acre, by hand
pH: 3.65
Total Acidity: 6.2 g/l
Alc %: 14.5
Fermentation: 100% Barrel
Aging: 60% French
20% American
20% Hungarian
12 months, 25% new
ML Complete: Yes
Filtered: Yes
Fined: No
Vintage notes
We were challenged in 2015 by a warm winter, a cool spring, and a couple of summer heat waves. The last heat wave lingered throughout the first half of September, accelerating grape sugars and forcing us to scramble to get our crews scheduled. Fortunately, the quality of fruit was outstanding,
showing magnificent color, deep flavor concentration, and perfect sugar and acid levels. These fantastic results are typical of drought vintages. The downside is that dry years often translate into lower cluster weights (crop yields), a less than favorable farming condition. Overall, a very fine vintage indeed and one that will be remembered for great quality.