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2016 MERLOT n th DEGREE is a selection of handcrafted, limited production wines created by Fifth Generation Winemaker, Karl D. Wente. The focus of this small lot program is to create wines that reflect the distinctive terroir of the Wente family’s estate vineyards in Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco, Monterey. Each wine must show style and finesse of stellar degree to be included in THE n th DEGREE program. Only the best of the best, regardless of vintage or variety, achieve this distinction. V I N TAG E 2017 was our first non-drought vintage in the Livermore Valley. We experienced a higher amount of rainfall throughout the year, which produced more vegetative growth than in previous years. The large amount of leaves that the rainfall produced helped protect the fruit during the heat spells we experienced over the summer. The influx of rain in the winter complemented by the heat during the summer created ideal conditions for our fruit. VINEYAR D Our 2017 n th DEGREE Merlot is sourced from our Sachau and Home vineyards in the Livermore Valley. Sachau is located on a beautiful hillside of our estate. We pick from the same block every year from the Sachau vineyard for our Nth Degree Merlot because of the quality of fruit that this block yields. Our Home vineyard is situated on the valley floor in an area that has a higher silk content due to the lack of river influence in the soil. Year after year, we see this vineyard perform really well in quality, which is why it is given a lot of time and attention. W INEM A K ING Fermentation took place in small stainless steel tanks where the must was gently pumped over three times daily. Each variety was aged separately in French and neutral oak barrels for 6 months, then blended and aged for an additional 14 months in 80% new French oak and 20% second use French oak barrels. TA S T I N G N O T E S Our 2017 n th DEGREE Merlot is complex with aromatics of clove and cocoa powder followed by ripe red fruit and blueberry compote. This wine is medium in body with soft, smooth tannins and will continue to evolve beautifully with age. Our winemaking team suggests decanting this wine upon drinking. A P P E L L AT ION Livermore Valley, San Francisco Bay VA R IETA L C ONTENT 96% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon W I N EM A K ER Karl D. Wente A L C OHO L 1 5 . 5 % P H 3. 85 TA 0.64g/100mL R E L E A S E D A T E February 2020 B A R R E L S P RO D U C E D 30 © 2 2020 W 8 Wente V e Vineyards All r l rights r s reserved d .
