Northstar Merlot

Northstar Winery

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Northstar Winery
The Wines
The Vineyards
The Winemaker
Walla Walla

Northstar Winery makes outstanding Merlot. The winemaking is a collaboration between veteran Washington winemaker Rusty Figgins and renowned California winemaker Jed Steele. Each year, the winemakers create a Bordeaux-style Merlot by individually fermenting and aging dozens of small lots – all carefully selected for the unique aromas, flavors, tannins and/or structure they bring to the wine.

In the end, the individual characteristics of each vineyard are blended together to create a seamless, balanced wine of great richness and complexity. During fermentation, each lot is punched down to add color and flavor while avoiding astringency. At dryness, the wine is racked into 100% new French oak barrels to integrate the oak and fruit early. The wine is then typically aged 19 months before bottling unfiltered and unfined.

The result is a wine with the unmistakable power of Columbia Valley Merlot and a seductive display of rich fruit perfectly matched to firm tannins and polished oak.

Locations of Northstar Winery's vineyards:

Northstar Winery's location in Washington State:

92 points Wine Advocate. Dusty malt, dried herbs and bright cherry flavors are balanced well into this smoothly-structured wine that concludes with a supple, lingering finish.

Wine Advocate
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An elegant wine that opens with bold aromas of raspberry, mint, maple, chocolate, clove, coconut and licorice, it's medium-bodied, dense and muscular with a bold, rich, smoky coffee-mocha finish.
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a fine bottle, with sweet raspberry fruit leading into a succulent mouthful of chocolate and cherries - Paul Gregutt, Seattle Times
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