Long Shadows Pedestal Merlot 2020

Opaque and concentrated in color, the nose of rich black fruits rises from the moment it is poured into the glass, with hints of dark chocolate. Ripe huckleberry and wild blackberry flavors are beautifully integrated with sweet violets and a touch of oak spice. The mid-palate is rich and intense, with a long, silky, textured finish.

As in past vintages, this wine is made primarily from grapes from the Weinbau Vineyard, located on the Wahluke Slope. This warm vineyard produces Merlot with deep, textured fruit and vibrant character. Red Mountain and Candy Mountain grapes form the backbone of the wine, while Dionysus adds a beautiful richness to the mid-palate that is characteristic of Pedestal.

The 2020 growing season was characterized by low yields, a hot summer, and long fall hang time, producing outstanding wines with great flavor, texture, and vibrancy. after a normal bud break in mid-April, May temperatures were mild. weather cooled in June, and temperatures rose in July and August, with a few heat waves, Several heat waves occurred. Just when it seemed harvest would be rushed, ripening conditions in Washington State slowed and photosynthesis proceeded slowly enough to avoid excessive sugar accumulation and protect acidity.

Hand-harvested grapes were double-sorted before fermentation to remove green materials that might impart harsh tannins. Afterwards, lots were cold soaked to build richness and flavor, then underwent whole-berry fermentation in 1,500-gallon upright French oak tanks. Gentle pump-overs throughout fermentation, enhanced the wine’s color and added richness on the palate. Aged 22 months in all French oak barrels, 85% new.

Long Shadows Vintners was founded in 2002 by Washington wine visionary Allen Shoup, who was President and CEO of Chateau Ste. Michelle from 1984-2000 forged internationally acclaimed winemaking partnerships with Piero Antinori (Col Solare) and Dr. Ernst Loosen (Eroica Riesling).  Long Shadows Vintners now builds upon those successes by bringing an elite cadre of the world’s most celebrated winemakers from the finest wine regions around the globe to Washington in order to create world class wines that showcase the viticultural excellence of Washington State’s Columbia Valley. Each celebrated vintner partners individually with Shoup and resident winemaker Gilles Nicault on a distinct winemaking program to produce a single “best of type” wine under a unique label.  These include: Pedestal Merlot by Michel Rolland (international consultant and owner of Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol); Sequel Syrah by John Duval (formerly of Penfold’s Grange, South Australia); Poet’s Leap Riesling by Armin Diel (Schlossgut Diel, Nahe, Germany); Pirouette by Agustin Huneeus (Quintessa, Napa Valley) and Philippe Melka (Bryant Family, Napa Valley); Chester-Kidder by Allen Shoup and Gilles Nicault (former winemaker at Woodward Canyon, Walla Walla Valley); and Feather by Randy Dunn (Dunn Vineyards, Napa Valley, formerly of Caymus), and Saggi by Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari (A. & G. Folonari Tenute). Long Shadows is named in tribute to the stature of this select group of individuals, who continue to shape the wine industry with their benchmark wines and wineries.