Phoenix Vineyards

1997 Napa Valley Merlot ~ Little Blackbird

Winemaker's Notes:

Varietal %s: 92% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon (100% Estate)

Date of Harvest: Aug 31st and Sept 7th(Merlot), Sept 7th (Cabernet Sauvignon)

Brix at Harvest: 23.0 to 24.0 Brix

Length of Ferment: 6-8days with 8 days additional skin contact time on avg.

End Alcohol: 13.6%

Time in Oak: 9 months in a mix of 20% 1-year old American Oak and older French Oak barrels

Bottling Date: July 15 , 1998 (No fining or filtration)

260 cases produced

The name for our Merlot, the Little Blackbird, comes directly from the grape name itself. Sources say translating the French word Merlot from slang gives Little Blackbird

The 1997 vintage was superb in the Napa Valley; this wine is a prime example of the conditions. It was a. larger than average crop that had one of the earliest harvests on record in California. This was after the earliest budbreak we had ever seen so the fruit got the necessary time on the vine for the color and characters to develop fully. The deeply colored 97 Blackbird is showing some extract at this point, balanced with very rich, jammy and forward dark fruit notes such as plum and black cherry. Some sweet vanillin and spice notes from the barrels also appear. The wine may benefit from some further time in the bottle but it is already showing very well. This may be the best Blackbird to date.