2003 Pedestal Merlot

2003 PEDESTAL MERLOT - 95 POINTS As professional and polished a Merlot as we have tasted in quite some time, this very deep, impeccably crafted effort easily outdistances the field and moves to the very head of the class. From its rich and keenly composed aromas to its layered flavors of black cherries, loam and deftly fit oak, it is wine of real reach and complexity oand never once resorts to simple ripeness to bolster its impressions of richess."

 

2003 PEDESTAL MERLOT - 94 POINTS The 2003 Pedestal (553 cases) sports a deep nose of ripe cherries and toasty oak. Fashioned from 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, this beauty broadens on the palate to reveal lush layers of thick, silky-textured red fruits. Pure, concentrated, and medium to full-bodied, it is an engaging, hedonistic wine. Drink it over the next 12-15 years.

 

2003 PEDESTAL MERLOT - 92 POINTS Big, rich and generous, a lavish mouthful of currant, blackberry and a touch of spice and earth that weave through the finish and linger."

 
Michel crafted Pedestal with Merlot from the Alder Ridge, Dionysus and Conner Lee Vineyards.  Alder Ridge produces elegant fruit that captures the aromas of the Horse Heaven Hills terroir. The mature plantings of Dionysus, with their developed roots, supply dense, dark fruit - and Conner Lee contributes acid balance and enhanced black fruit characteristics. Cabernet Sauvignon from the Yakima Valley adds structure and a small percentage of grapes from Ciel du Cheval on Red Mountain provide extra balance and depth.

 
Michel Rolland is considered by many to be one of the most influential winemakers in the field.  A graduate of the esteemed Bordeaux Faculty of Oenology, he continues to build upon this practical source of knowledge through observations in his own laboratory in Pomerol, France.  He consults for over 100 vintners and vineyards worldwide, producing wines with an alluring style recognized as the “Rolland Method”.
 
Rolland also maintains partnership interests in far-flung regions of the globe, including his involvement with Long Shadows Vintners.  His home, however, is in Pomerol, where he owns and manages a number of holdings and fine wine estates: Chateau Le Bon Pasteur in Pomerol, Chateau Bertineau Saint-Vincent in Lalande-de-Pomerol, Chateau Rolland-Maillet in Saint-Emilion, and Chateau Fontenil in Fronsac.  In addition, Michel manages the Chateau La Grande Clottee in Lussac-Saint-Emilion under a vineyard lease system.
 
Vineyard management techniques championed by Rolland include effeuillage (thinning of leaves), and eclaircissage (pruning of clusters), both used to encourage the advent of perfectly ripened grapes. Aging on the lees in new oak barrels and in-barrel malolactic fermentation are also Rolland’s trademarks.
 
However, those who view the “Rolland Method” as a craftsman’s book of recipes have missed the mark. Rolland is not a technician – he is, first and foremost, an observer.  He studies the surround, that is, the blend of personality traits that distinguishes the vintner, the vineyard, and the grower.  In uncanny fashion, Rolland understands the unique culture of the wine - and therefore the nuances that separate an unexciting wine from something quite extraordinary.  It is this ability to understand the wine that makes him such an amazing oenologist.
 
Michel is usually winging his way to a vineyard in some far corner of the world. However, he makes a point of returning home each year to celebrate the birthdays of his two daughters, Marie and Stephanie, and grandchildren, Camille, Arthur, Theo and Raphael.

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