From the winery:

This second in our Artist Series is a beautifully balanced blend of 57% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Cabernet Franc. Winemaker Mike Januik describes the 1994 Meritage as having an aroma that's darkly sweet - with black cherry, plum, currant - yet toasty with oak. Underneath, light-heated whispers of tobacco. He notes lots of jubilant cherry, with lively interludes of spice, more oak, and supple tannins that give the wine both backbone and tenderness.

The Vintage:

Every now and then the elements are especially kind to us, giving us an opportunity to make exceptional wines. In 1994, in the Columbia Valley, they did just that -- a fine year for red wines. In late May and June, the weather created ideal conditions for normal flowering and fruit set on the vines. Warm, sunny skies continued throughout the summer, the grapes ripening evenly and perfectly! Then, September's cooler evenings arrived, helping to preserve the grape's fruit character, and we were blessed with small clusters of vivid fruit, full of flavor.

Vinification:

We innoculated the grapes with Prise de Mousse yeast. Fermentation lasted for about ten days, during which time we pumped the cap over twice daily to extract color and flavor - and those magically enlivening tannins. Next, with great care, we moved the wine to French oak for malolactic fermentation and aging. For the first twelve months, the wine was racked periodically from barrel to barrel. Then we assessed the best of the lots and assembled the final blend, which we immediately put back into barrels, allowing the flavors to meld for another six months before bottling. Nine months after bottling, we released this expressive Meritage.

The Closed Box

The four different labels, each featuring a different glass sculpture