2005 Artist Series Meritage - Box Set

$165.00 -- This is the ultimate sculpted wine, showcasing the power and elegance of Washington fruit.

Purchase 2005 Artist Series Meritage - Box Set

The Art of Wine
Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Artist Series Meritage red wine celebrates the inspired collaboration between artisan winemaking and fine art. This 13th vintage of Artist Series Meritage showcases the work of Bobbie Burgers from British Columbia. Bobbie studied in France and returns often to recapture the life, light and spirit of Provence in her painting. Her powerful botanicals and luscious still lifes are large scale, intensely alive landscapes that focus on sumptuous color and wild movement. For more information about the artist, visit fosterwhite.com.

Tasting Notes
“This is the ultimate sculpted wine, showcasing the power and elegance of Washington fruit. The 2005 Artist Series Meritage is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot from the Columbia Valley. Each variety contributes a special attribute to the blend, resulting in a complex wine with seamless tannins. The 2005 Artist Series marks the first time that Merlot, and not Cabernet, makes up a majority of the blend. The 2005 Merlot deserved to be the star of the show!”
-Bob Bertheau, Head Winemaker

Vintage

The 2005 harvest tested our winemaker’s patience, but ultimately delivered excellent quality fruit.
The growing season started cool, followed by 90+ degree days in July and August.
September brought cool and constant weather, which extended the season, allowing grapes extra time to ripen on the vine and enhance flavor development.

Vineyards

Fruit from our vineyard at Canoe Ridge Estate in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA made up 44% of the blend, contributing elegant fruit and silky tannins.
30% of the fruit was sourced from our Cold Creek Vineyard, one of the oldest and warmest sites in Washington.
Planted in 1973, the low yielding old vines of Cold Creek produce small clusters and small berries, resulting in intense varietal flavors and deep color.
The balance of the fruit came from vineyards in the Wahluke Slope, a warm region known for ripe, concentrated reds.

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.
Aged for 20 months in French and American oak, 53% new.

Heritage of Acclaim
****, Four stars-Restaurant Wine (2002 vintage)
91 points, The Wine Advocate (2001 vintage)
90 points, Wine Spectator (2000 vintage)

Technical Data
Alcohol: 14.3%
Total Acidity: 0.57g /100ml
pH: 3.73
Blend: 57% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec

Purchase 2005 Artist Series Meritage - Box Set

Other products in the category Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine / Red Wines:

2003 Columbia Valley Syrah -- The 2003 Syrah is a fruit-driven wine with ripe berry and exotic spice characters.

2003 Ethos Merlot -- "Power, concentration, complexity, refinement..."
6 bottle purchase limit

2004 Artist Series Boxed Set -- Three Bottle Collectors Box
Includes one each of the three different Artist Series labels

2004 Artist Series Meritage -- "...aromas of black cherry, plum and cedar, with elegant tannins..."

2004 Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot -- Winter 2007 Selection
"complex aromas of black cherries, leather, dried herbs"

2004 Chateau Ste Michelle Red Blend Orphelin -- "On the palate, candied cherries and ripe strawberries abound offering an enticing, complex mouthfeel and a smiling finish"

2004 Cold Creek Syrah -- "The wine exhibits a full, rich and chewy midpalate with a long, savory finish."

2004 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon -- The 2004 Cab delivers aromas of blackberries and boysenberry preserves with vanilla and cedar notes.

2004 Ethos Merlot -- "Black cherry, plum, cocoa, leather, cedar and dried herb aromas..."

2005 Artist Series Meritage -- This is the ultimate sculpted wine, showcasing the power and elegance of Washington fruit.

2005 Canoe Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon -- "...delivers black cherry fruit, spicy oak, leather and sweet caramel characters."

2005 Canoe Ridge Estate Syrah -- This elegant Syrah is smoky and earthy on the nose, and bursts with bright marionberry flavors wrapped in silky tannins.

2005 Chateau Ste Michelle Red Blend Orphelin -- "On the palate, candied cherries and ripe strawberries abound offering an enticing, complex mouthfeel and a smiling finish"

2005 Col Solare Red Blend 1.5 mL -- "Aromas of black cherry, berry and dark chocolate..."

2005 Col Solare Red Blend 750 mL -- "Aromas of black cherry, berry and dark chocolate..."

2005 Cold Creek Cabernet Sauvignon -- The 2005 bottling offers dense aromas of boysenberry and brown sugar spice with layers of fruit with nicely integrated, yet very age-worthy, tannins.

2005 Cold Creek Vineyard Merlot -- Cold Creek’s 30-year-old vines deliver big, bold, concentrated Merlot.

2005 Ethos Syrah -- As the pinnacle tier for Chateau Ste. Michelle, the Ethos Syrah offers a rich mouthful of jammy blackberry fruit with layers of complexity and depth.

2005 Grenache -- This exuberant wine exhibits concentrated flavors of bright strawberry with grapefruit notes and a clean finish. Try it with pork tenderloin or a rich salmon dish!”

2005 Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon -- The wine exudes sweet blackberry pie and vanilla aromas and flavors with loads of complexity.

2005 Malbec Vineyard Select -- Sweet vanilla, spice and cream grace the nose, while red fruit flavors give way to a caramel and blueberry

2005 Red Blend Austral -- Dark fruit flavors and strawberry notes greet the palate and finishes with hints of cigar box and earthy tannins.

2005 Red Blend Boreal -- This wine finishes with a silky texture, brisk tannins and wonderful complexity.

2005 Wahluke Slope Syrah -- Hints of warm boysenberry fruit and roasted espresso grace this soft Syrah.

2006 Cinsault -- "...pomegranate fruit flavors enhanced by a zesty, white pepper spice."

2007 Nellie's Garden Dry Rose

2003 Indian Wells Merlot -- This is a lush and fleshy Merlot loaded with jammy, blackberry flavors..."

2004 Indian Wells Merlot -- The 2004 Indian Wells Merlot displays ripe black cherry aromas and jammy flavors integrated with layers of star anise.

2004 Columbia Valley Merlot -- The wine shows complex aromas of black cherries, red licorice and a touch of cedar. The voluminous yet racy midpalate emphasizes sweet fruit, with a lingering cherry finish.