Winemaking families in Bordeaux have for centuries grown certain red varietal grapes on small vineyards, blending the juice after harvest into rich, flavorful wines known around the world for their complexity and longevity. In keeping with this traditional approach, the Kreck Estate Vineyard produces Reflections Meritage.

Planted exclusively with grapes grown in Bordeaux, France, the vineyard is seven gently sloping, south-facing acres in the southern region of the Alexander Valley. The vineyard also surrounds the home of Bill and Yvonne Kreck; Yvonne grew up on the property, and she and Bill raised three sons there as well. Bill had dreamed for years of turning the rolling hills and pastureland into vineyards capable of producing fruit for an ultra-premium wine. The result is Reflections Meritage Red Table Wine; 1996 marked the vineyard's third consecutive harvest.

Meritage is the term given to the classification of certain American red or white wines made from the same grape varieties used in Bordeaux - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, St. Macaire, Gros Verdot and Carmenere. French wines have never been labeled varietally; rather, they are known by producer or region in which the grapes are grown. There are variations in the wines of Bordeaux, none of which are accidental; differences in blends are the result of hundreds of years of intentional experimentation to find just the right combination of grapes for every parcel in the region. The specific combination of grapes defines the style for which each village is known. Reflections Meritage uses only grapes grown on the Kreck Estate Vineyard, planted specifically for their imparting traits: Cabernet Sauvignon, for body, intense black currant aromas, tannic balance, acidity for complexity and ageability; Merlot, for smoother tannins, higher sugar levels, cherry and plum qualities; Cabernet Franc, for fragrance, acidity, and strawberry-like character.

In America now, as in France, the idea behind any Meritage is to produce wine from a well-chosen mix of grapes. Fruit, cooperage and blending heighten the possibilities of the end results. A Meritage wine, whether red or white, should set the standard for the state of the winemaker's art.

Reflections Meritage mirrors not only the highest aspirations of the Kreck family, but a traditional approach to the old-world art of family winemaking, defined by the characteristics of one specific vineyard.