ToilingToward the New Blends - a Labor of Love

Ralf Holdenried, head of the winemaking team at the William Hill Estate in Napa, tells me how they collaborate in the field, the laboratory, and the blending bench to determine which blocks and lots are to be married, and in what proportions. They make small batches from the different blocks, which are produced separately from the moment of selection, through crush, fermentation, and barrel aging. During the barrel aging process (a year for Chardonnay; two years for Cabernets) the winemakers are continuously experimenting in the lab and the tasting room to discover and agree upon which lots will make their way into a blend. The losing barrels will find their purpose in bulk elsewhere, though not with the William Hill Estates name. Ralf and his team work tirelessly as they home in on the blend that best expresses the layers and nuances of its components into a work of art. A 2007 Meritage is about to be released, and it will mark a very happy milestone in the history of winning blends. Those of us who attended Napa Valley Meetup Numero Dos - Cinco de Mayo -- Cheers to Taste, may have sampled the pre-release of this Meritage, and know of what I speak.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• William Hills Estate Winery
• E. & J. Gallo Winery
• Meritage
• Blend