2002 Imagery Merlot, Sunny Slope Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml) (Imagery Estate Winery / Imagery Vineyard Collection) -- Benziger & Imagery Winery Shopping Cart -- (750ml) Valley Sonoma Vineyard, Slope Sunny Merlot, Imagery 2002

<H1>2002 Imagery Merlot, Sunny Slope Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml) -- Benziger & Imagery Winery Shopping Cart</H1> $35.00 -- "Gold & Best in Show" - 2005 Orange County Fair Wine Competition! This Merlot displays unusually intense and rich fruitiness (reminiscent of blackberry, plum, and blueberry), combined with subtle oak overtones (toast, tobacco, vanilla). <IMG SRC="https://store.nexternal.com/benziger/images/IEWSSCab1.jpg" ALIGN=right ALT="2002 Imagery Merlot, Sunny Slope Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml)" NAME="2002 Imagery Merlot, Sunny Slope Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml)" BORDER=0 HSPACE=10> VINTAGE 2002 RELEASE DATE September 2005 AVAILABILITY Winery and select California locations CASE PRODUCTION 632 APPELLATION Sonoma Valley VINEYARD Sunny Slope Vineyard LABEL ART BY Chester Arnold VINEYARD: As a virtual rock quarry, Sunny Slope Vineyard’s vines were planted in holes drilled or pick-axed out of fractured stone over 20 years ago. The deep roots – a result of maturity and years of laboring for water -- combine with the warm southwest exposure to produce thick-skinned grapes which give us the concentrated flavors, inky color and extracted tannins that distinguish this vineyard. VINTAGE: Vintage 2002 started wet, even before the calendar said it was 2002 - we almost had our seasonal average of rain before the New Year – with January and February being unusually dry and typically cold. We had light rain at the end of March that slowed down budbreak but without causing any major problems. Unsettled weather through spring kept things interesting. More cool weather in May extended bloom, which could have caused uneven ripening. At the end of May we were about two weeks behind 2001. Veraison began in late July, later than average, but earlier than 1998 and 1999. Moving into the final stages of the growing season we were in pretty good shape considering that our summer had been fairly mild. 2002 was a vintage won in the vineyard, beginning shortly after budbreak with shoot thinning, and on through the season with crop thinning to balance the vines and eliminate any damaged or delayed fruit. This work by our growers allowed us to bring in ripe, uniform, high quality fruit with intense flavors and nice natural acid levels. VINIFICATION: We harvested the Merlot selecting blocks to create a more complex and concentrated wine. Fermented in stainless steel fermentors for 14 days and then placed in French and American oak for 20 months., this wine was bottled in August 2004. Alcohol 14.5%, TA .58, pH 3.69, Residual Sugar .09. <LI>SKU: 793102 Other products in the category <A HREF="http://www.nexternal.com/benziger/Category1" TITLE="Imagery Estate Winery">Imagery Estate Winery</A> / <A HREF="http://www.nexternal.com/benziger/Category3" TITLE="Imagery Vineyard Collection">Imagery Vineyard Collection</A>: <LI><A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/benziger/Product445 TITLE="2004 Imagery 'Pallas', Imagery Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml)">2004 Imagery 'Pallas', Imagery Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml)</A> -- ONLY 6 CASES LEFT! This estate blend has structured flavors of dark cherry, with notes of cocoa, herbs, and sweet earth. Fully integrated tannins give way to a long, balanced finish. <LI><A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/benziger/Product556 TITLE="2005 Imagery 'Pallas', Imagery Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml)">2005 Imagery 'Pallas', Imagery Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml)</A> -- This BIODYNAMIC IMAGERY ESTATE blend has structured flavors of dark cherry, with notes of cocoa, herbs, and sweet earth. Fully integrated tannins give way to a long, balanced finish. <LI><A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/benziger/Product488 TITLE="2004 Imagery Merlot, Sunny Slope Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml)">2004 Imagery Merlot, Sunny Slope Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml)</A> -- This is a rich, fleshy style of Merlot, that is mildly oaky, and lightly tannic; indeed, one of the fullest Merlots produced in Sonoma Valley. <LI><A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/benziger/Product421 TITLE="2003 Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon, Sunny Slope Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml)">2003 Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon, Sunny Slope Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml)</A> -- It is full bodied, intensely flavored (blackberry, black currant, plum, toast, spicy oak), and very long on the palate, with a lightly tannic finish. <LI><A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/benziger/Product497 TITLE="2004 Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon, Sunny Slope Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml)">2004 Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon, Sunny Slope Vineyard, Sonoma Valley (750ml)</A> -- DOUBLE GOLD Winner, 2007 Harvest Fair! This Cabernet is full bodied, intensely flavored (blackberry, black currant, plum, toast, spicy oak), and very long on the palate, with a lightly tannic finish. <LI><A HREF=http://www.nexternal.com/benziger/Product563 TITLE="2004 Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon, Ash Creek Vineyard, Alexander Valley (750ml)">2004 Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon, Ash Creek Vineyard, Alexander Valley (750ml)</A> -- Cabernets from this vineyard are generous in both flavor and texture. balance of rich berry flavors and earthy undercurrents. In the mouth the tannins have mellowed into a silky texture with a long finish. <A HREF="http://www.nexternal.com/benziger" TITLE="Benziger & Imagery Winery Products">Benziger & Imagery Winery Products</A> <A HREF="http://www.benziger.com">Benziger & Imagery Winery</A> Benziger & Imagery Winery Online Store powered by Nexternal <A HREF="http://www.nexternal.com" TITLE="shopping cart software">shopping cart software</A>

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