2009 Pedestal Merlot - 1.5L
Michel Rolland, Pomerol vintner and consultant to many of the world's top wineries, teamed with Washington State wine visionary Allen Shoup to produce this limited release wine. The 2009 vintage produced exceptional wines with deep color and concentration. Spring was a bit cooler and wetter than usual, but the arrival of dry weather in June led to good fruit set. Temperatures warmed considerably in July and stayed warm into September. These consistent, warm temperatures and lower than average yields caused the grapes to ripen quickly and evenly, sparking of the earliest and fastest harvests on record.
Rich and expressive, yet graceful, this intensely aromatic Merlot displays a wide array of mouthwatering flavors, including ripe blackberries, dark plum and baker's chocolate. Sweet tannins and a velvety texture persist across a lengthy finish.
#11, TOP 100 WINES OF 2012, 95 POINTS - WINE SPECTATOR
| Download Wine Notes |
| Vintage | 2009 |
| Varietal | Merlot |
| Varietal Composition | 83% Merlot
12% Cabernet Sauvignon
5% Cabernet Franc |
| Appellation | Columbia Valley |
| Acid | 0.58g/100ml |
| PH | 3.73 |
| Alcohol | 14.90% |
| Wine Style | Red Wine |
| Volume | 1.5 liter |
2009 PEDESTAL - 95 POINTS, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
"Round, generous and expressive, offering plum, loganberry, cherry and clove flavors that pick up hints of loam and floral character as they finish tightens its focus. Impressive for its length and deft balance."
2009 PEDESTAL - 93 POINTS, CELLAR SELECTION
"Bay leaf and pretty herb scents introduce a wine that remains tightly wound. Black cherry and cassis flavors are set in a frame of smoky espresso. The tannins are polished, and the finish is deliciously long."
The 2009 Pedestal is a blend of carefully selected vineyards chosen to create a rich, layered wine. Weinbau and Conner Lee vineyards represent a little more than half the blend, forming the wine's rich, round mouth feel and adding dark berry flavors. Dionysus vineyard contributes freshness and balance; and at its core, Red Mountain's Tapteil vineyard serves as the backbone for the wine, giving it structure.
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.
