WINEMAKER NOTES
“This is the ultimate sculpted wine, showcasing the elegance and power of Washington fruit. The 2006 Artist Series Meritage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and a touch of Petit Verdot from our best vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley and Wahluke Slope of Washington state. Each variety contributes a special attribute to the blend, resulting in a complex wine with seamless tannins. 2006 was a “classic Washington” vintage and produced elegant, soft wines.” - Bob Bertheau, Head Winemaker

THE ART OF WINE
Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Artist Series Meritage red wine celebrates the inspired collaboration between artisan winemaking and fine art. This 14th vintage of Artist Series Meritage showcases the work of Eva Isaksen, who draws inspiration from organic forms and two disparate landscapes–the land where she grew up North of the Artic Circle in Norway and her current home in the Pacific Northwest. A lover of nature, she seeks overall simplicity by creating collages with complex, layered surfaces. Being both artist and print maker, everything used in her collages Isaksen has printed herself.While Malbec is known as a classic Bordeaux blending varietal, we chose to showcase it in this special bottling. Sweet vanilla, spice and cream grace the nose, while red fruit flavors give way to a caramel and blueberry finish. You can see what it might add to a Meritage blend, but is certainly interesting to see it on its own as well.

VINTAGE
• 2006 was a year of extremes in weather.
• A cooler than normal, wet spring was followed by a very long, hot summer.
  
• The weather was nearly ideal during the growing season.
  
• Summer fell into a consistent pattern of dry weather, warm days and cool nights.
• Harvest began early, with some grapes being picked in late August.
  
• A cool spell in mid-September slowed things down and allowed more hang time for enhanced flavor development.

VINEYARDS
• Fruit from our vineyard at Canoe Ridge Estate in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA made up over half of the blend (55%), contributing elegant fruit and silky tannins.
• 31% of the fruit came from vineyards in the Wahluke Slope, a warm region known for ripe, concentrated reds.
• The balance of the fruit was sourced from our Cold Creek Vineyard, one of the oldest and  warmest sites in Washington.

WINEMAKING
• Fermented in small lots for maximum flexibility during blending.
• Daily gentle pumpovers were used to extract optimal flavor and color and minimize harsh tannins.
• The pumpovers vary by block, tank and day of fermentation. Every ferment is tasted daily to evaluate the evolution of the tannins, modify extraction techniques and find the right moment to drain the wine off of its skins.
• The wine underwent a long, cool malolactic fermentation uninoculated in oak barrels for four months. This integrated the oak and added complexity and mouthfeel to the wine.
• Aged for 20 months in French oak (80%) and American oak (20%).

TECHNICAL DATA
• Alcohol: 14.5%
• Total Acidity: 0.55g /100ml
• pH: 3.82
• Blend: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot
• Cases produced: 2,200