Crichton Hall Releases 2000 Reflexion and 2000 Merlot.

Business Editors/Food & Wine Writers

NAPA VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 25, 2003

Crichton Hall Vineyard, distinguished by its small production of hand crafted, Old-World wines structured true to their varietal characteristics, today announced it will release its 2000 Reflexion and 2000 Merlot wines on September 1, 2003.

2000 Reflexion

Reflexion is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. It was originally blended in collaboration with Philippe Melka, a Bordeaux enologist whose prior work with Petrus and Dominus resonates in the strength and opulence of this vintage. Deriving its name from a reflection of Napa Valley's best hillside terroir, fruit, and styling, Crichton Hall's flagship wine is produced from three different vineyards to achieve complexity in aroma and flavors.

Fruit from the cool Carneros Truchard Vineyard and southeastern Napa Caldwell Vineyard offers alluring aromas of dried herbs, tobacco and cedar. Lush, concentrated flavors of ripe plums and currant follow with a lingering finish of supple earthy spice. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes come from the cool, wet Spring Mountain appellation, where some of the oldest, steepest soils give Reflexion deep color and a rich structure of soft fleshy tannins and full flavor in the finish.

Reflexion is a medium-bodied wine, refined right out of the bottle but showing its best with 10 years of aging. It is styled to complement elegant meats, such as Beef Wellington, Filet Mignon, and Rack of Lamb, as well as full flavored cheeses and elegant chocolate desserts. Priced at $75 per bottle suggested retail, production is 280 cases.

2000 Reflexion
Release Date:       September 1, 2003
Blend:              54 percent Cabernet Sauvignon 29 percent Merlot
                    13 percent Petit Verdot
                    4 percent Cabernet Franc
Barrel Age:         18 months -- French Oak

2000 Merlot

Crichton Hall's classic Bordeaux-styled 2000 Merlot displays the wine's consistent structure of soft lush tannins and refined fruit flavors. A deep purple color in the glass, it releases aromas of ripe berries and cassis, with hints of licorice and vanilla bean.

Fruit from the Truchard and Caldwell Vineyards -- cool regions with hillside conditions that stress the vines for smaller berries with intense flavors -- fills this medium-bodied Merlot with layers of fruit: predominantly blackberry and loganberry with notes of strawberry and raspberry. Subtle elements of oak, tobacco, and spice linger on the finish.

Crichton Hall continues to select fruit from a variety of sources, including Cabernet Sauvignon from the Spring Mountain region, to structure its wines with a complexity and strength not common in most California Merlots. Its powerful character and balanced acidity pairs best with hearty fare, such as game, lamb, or cassoulet. It is also delicious with full flavored cheeses.

Priced at $32 per bottle suggested retail, production is 1000 cases.

2000 Merlot
Release Date:       September 1, 2003
Blend:              85 percent Merlot
                    (75 percent from Truchard Vineyard, 25 percent
                        from Caldwell Vineyard)
                    15 percent Cabernet Sauvignon
Barrel Age:         18 months -- French Oak

About Crichton Hall Vineyard

Crichton Hall Vineyard, located in the southwestern bench lands of Napa Valley, was established 20 years ago as a 17-acre Chardonnay estate. Over the years, Merlot, Pinot Noir and a Bordeaux blend, called Reflexion, were added to Crichton Hall's portfolio. These wines were handcrafted from the best hillside grown fruit harvested from select Napa Valley vineyards.

Crichton Hall's vineyard, once exclusively planted to Chardonnay, is in the final stages of transforming into an estate producing the traditional Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Crichton Hall can be reached at [phone] or [e-mail].