The early morning grape harvest started on September 9, 2016 with clone 667 and wrapped up on September 19 with clone 828 – a relatively late beginning but the grapes came in fast. As it is our style, the grapes were hand-picked, and hand sorted in the vineyard using our portable sorting table. Nature was generous and the yields were at a nice level – average a little over three ton per acre. But as the grapes arrived at the winery, we noticed good colors, acids and flavor concentration. The brix ranged between 23.1 and 25.8 with well-balanced pH and acids wine making style.

After we harvested the fruit, it rested one day in our cold room to avoid using dry ice. For the first time we started experimenting with co-fermentation: let some of the clones ferment together to “emulate” the Burgundy massal style. We used 459 + 667, 459 + 667 + Pommard, 115 + 667, 115 + Pommard, as well as 828 + 2a – lots of exciting experiments with a great outcome. The fruit was then cold soaked for 4-9 days until the native yeast fermentation kicked in. We hand punched each small fermenter twice a day to assist the extraction of colors, tannins, and flavors. After 5-9 days the native yeast had completed fermentation and we started tasting each lot frequently to determine optimized extended maceration – 7 to 22 days depending on the clone. when we decided the wine was ready it was gently drained out and we pressed the skins lightly before racking it to barrels.

We do not add any artificial color, tannin powder, fermentation aids or nutrients and we don’t add acid to adjust the pH/acid balance of the juice or wine. W let the native lactic bacteria do their job - we do not inoculate for malolactic fermentation. The only thing we do to modify the flavors from mother nature is using French oak barrels. The wine is unfined and unfiltered. Fabulous deep dark garnet red. Filling noses and palates with bold notes of cherry cola, spice and smooth minerality. The blend of five different clones is show cased with a smooth mellow finish of dark cherry and Mediterranean spice. Brimming with aromas of raspberry, boysenberry and rich blueberry cola and demonstrates a truly elegant Burgundian nose.