Highlights Made from clones 181 and 346, the Platinum Merlot was cane-pruned and cropped to under 4 tons per acre. Hand-harvested at Desert Ridge, CedarCreek, Greata Ranch, Mauz and Van Westen Vineyards, they aged the 2007 vintage 20 months in 100% French oak from Coopers Fouquet, Taransaud, Vicard and Dargaud & Jaegle.