2005 Pedestal Merlot

2005 PEDESTAL MERLOT  - 94 POINTS Deep crimson-colored, it offers an enticing perfume of toasty new oak, pencil lead, spice box, clove, allspice, red currants and black cherry. Seamless on the palate, the wine has gobs of ripe, savory flavors, well-concealed tannin, excellent aging potential, and a long, pure finish.

 

2005 PEDESTAL - 96 POINTS Here is a deep and serious look at Merlot that combines all that is best in the grape. Its generous aromas of optimally ripe cherries are grace-fully filled out with vanilla and sweet, root-beer-like spice, and its carefully composed, wonderfully satisfying flavors unfold with layers of rich, caramelly oak and deep, fully extracted fruit. It is an eminently collectible wine whose future is as certain as certain can be.

 
Working with diverse vineyard sources, Rolland selected Merlot from two warm sites – Candy Mountain and Weinbau Vineyard (50%) – to give the wine bold, rich character. Conner Lee and Dionysus Vineyard (37%) contributed bright cherry, dark berries and supple tannins. Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (13%) enhanced the wine’s structure, and Cabernet Franc (7%) contributed a pretty floral note and added elegance.

 
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.

2010 2008 2005 2004 2003