During the Revolutionary War, Brigadier General Hugh Mercer fought & died in the Battle of Princeton. The 525 acre, 27 block Princeton Vineyard pays homage to his sacrifice.
LOCATION: Alderdale Region (35 miles SW of Prosser, WA)
APPELLATION: Horse Heaven Hills
YEAR PLANTED: 2010 – 2012
SIZE: 73 acres, 4 blocks
ELEVATION: 700 – 830 ft.
VARIETALS: Riesling 35%, Merlot 32%, Syrah 29%, Cabernet Sauvignon 3%, Sauvignon Blanc 1%
SOIL SERIES: Silt loams dominate in Princeton with soils being very deep and well drained with all series being formed in lacustrine sediments with a mantle of loess. Warden Silt Loam, Kennewick Silt Loam and Sagehill Fine Sandy Loams make up the different soils with all soil series exhibiting three different layers of loams and sands combined. Lacustrine deposits are very well sorted, devoid of coarse particles such as coarse sand or gravels, and are characterized by thin layers that reflect annual deposition of sediments. Still water in lakes permits very fine particles (fine sand, silt, and clay) to settle out and to form lacustrine deposits. These deposits get exposed by elevation of old lakebeds. Loess in the Horse Heaven Hills is an aeolian (process of the wind’s ability to shape the surface of the earth) sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust
MICRO-CLIMATE: Warm – Long Term Average GDD 3054. Semi-Arid – Annual rainfall averages 6-9 inches, primarily in the winter months
AVERAGE YIELD: 4-5 tons per acre (red wine), 5-6 tons per acre (white wine)
ASPECT: Predominantly south-west and southern row orientation
UNIQUE ASPECTS: Five canyons cross the vineyard offering excellent drainage
SPACING: 8’x6’
TRELLIS: Vertical Shoot Positioned 2 fixed wires and 4 moveable wires
MERCER WINES FROM THIS VINEYARD: Estates Cabernet Sauvignon, Estates Merlot, Estates Sharp Sisters Red Blend
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