Meritage
VA - Other
WINEMAKING NOTES
K2 is a Bordeaux blend made from 21% grapes from Casanel Vineyards and 79% grapes from 2 Virginia vineyards. The blend consists of 52% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Carménère and 3% Petit Verdot. These different varietals were picked at different times to respect their respective ripeness time and were treated separately in tanks and in barrels until blending.
After hand-harvest and sorting in the vineyard, the grapes were gently transported in small lugs to the winery where they were destemmed, sorted again on a vibrating sorting table before to be sent in a stainless steel tank by gravity. After 2 to 4 days of cold maceration depending on the varietal, the alcoholic fermentation was started and occurred around 75 to 80 degrees F. Pump-overs were done every day during the fermentation and also during the short warm post-maceration, that lasted about 2 to 3 weeks (again depending on the varietal – Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot had both a longer post-maceration). The different wines were then pressed and sent to barrels where the malolactic (ML) fermentation occurred rapidly. After racking from ML, these wines returned to barrels to be aged for 21 months entirely in French oak Bordeaux barrels (30% new, 30% in 1-year old, 30% in 2-years old and 10% in 3-years old barrels). The final blending occurred at the end of February 2017. After a small fining, the wine was racked, filtered and bottled.
PRODUCTION DETAILS
Vineyard: 21% Casanel Vineyard – 100% VIRGINIA – Merlot and Cabernet Franc are the two only varietals composing this blend that were not coming from Casanel Vineyards
Varietal: 52% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Carménère and 3% PV
Vintage: 2017
Harvest Date: different picking dates depending on the varietals (Merlot: 09/28/17 – Cabernet Franc: 09/15/17 – Carménère: 09/24/15 – Cabernet Sauvignon: 10/06/17 – Petit Verdot: 10/05-06/17)
Bottling Date: 07/31/19
Fermentation: 100% whole berry, stainless steel tank
Yeast: FX10
Malo: 100%
pH: 3.69
Alcohol: 13% vol.
Residual Sugar: < 0.03 g/l in glucose-fructose
Aging: 21 months in 100% French Bordeaux barrels: 16% in new barrels & 68% in 2-year old barrel & 16% in 3-years old barrels
Cases produced: 490 cases
Cellaring: Enjoy it now to 2030 (medium-full body wine)
Full of rich red and black fruits with luscious acidity, this wine has an excellent balance with a touch of red pepper and cocoa nibs to the finish. Named after Katie & Katell who create this blend each year together. The two of them exponentially increasing each other's winemaking skills with every wine we make.
