2018 Champoux Merlot

In 2017 we decided that the merlot from Champoux has long been established and that we should recognize that on the bottle. Hence the creation of a full new line-up of single vineyard wines featuring our signature grapes. The 2018 is our second vintage of this wine and is already drinking like a true Washington State Merlot. 2018 was another warm vintage that cycled through cool and warm months at the start of the growing season. April was cool, delaying bud break slightly. Then May was one of the warmest on record, advancing bloom. This was followed by a cooler-than-average June. Bloom was notably fast and even, contributing to a larger crop size that required extensive thinning. July and August temperatures were quite warm, so much so that heading into veraison, 2018 was shaping up to be among the warmest vintages on record – and it still was based on Growing Degree Days. However, temperatures cooled considerably in September, creating ideal conditions for ripening.