Tortoise Creek Wines
Merlot “Schoolhouse Cuvée”
Clarksburg, California (AVA)
“Schoolhouse Cuvée” refers to the old schoolhouse built by the Mokelumne settlers in 1859.
Origin/Location
Our 100% Merlot comes from a beautifully maintained sustainably farmed vineyard in Lodi which is near Sacramento.
Winemaking
Extended maceration was used to add depth, structure and complexity to the wine. The red fermentation tanks are specially designed to give winemakers complete control of the fermentation and rate of extraction. Forty percent of our blend spent a year in a combination of American and French oak barrels.
Alcohol: 13.6%
Tasting Notes + Food Paring
Our Merlot “Schoolhouse Cuvée” is full of fresh, bright aromas and flavors of blackberries, cherries and herbs. It is round, rich and ripe with soft tannins. An ideal pairing with grilled or smoked meats, burgers and pastas.
Sustainable Practices
Certification: The Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing is California’s first 3rd party-certified sustainable winegrowing program. It promotes practices that enhance biodiversity, soil and water health, community and employee well-being, while meeting our needs today without compromising the needs of future generations.
These region-wide standards have been endorsed by Protected Harvest a non-profit organization comprised of scientists, academics and environmentalists that certifies farmer’s use of stringent environmental growing standards.
To be certified a grower must pass an independent audit of their viticultural practices.
UPC: 0-89832-41208-3