GROWING SEASON

Showing the effects of an El Nina weather system, the 2022 growing season was notable for its gentleness: the absence of extreme heat and strong winds, regular well-spaced precipitation. Despite lower maximum temperatures, there was good heat accumulation through mild nights and a long Indian summer. With almost ideal growing conditions, canopy growth was rapid and flowering occurred in late November. A few light showers reduced fruit set, but inflorescence numbers were high. Despite worries about powdery mildew in the early season, vines were almost entirely disease free, and after steady growth and development, harvest commenced on April 3, our earliest and largest harvest ever. 

VINEYARD & WINERY PRACTICES

We believe wine should express where and when it is grown and made. We follow organic principles and then proceed further, nurturing the soil and indigenous microflora by making our own compost and planting native vegetation. Vine pruning, leaf pulling, straightening shoots, and harvesting are all done by hand. At least fourteen different areas of the vineyard are harvested and fermented individually in our winery that is adjacent to the vines. Small fermentations by native yeasts, worked by hand and exposed to ambient temperatures, articulate different facets of vineyard and vintage. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally during the eleven months the wine is in barrel (primarily French oak, 22% new). We rack once in summer, use minimal sulfites, and do not fine or filter.

TASTING NOTES

The growing season was close to optimal in the ripening phase before harvest. The result is a wine that shows precocious complexity and subtlety, reminiscent of the 2015 vintage. Cherry and plum entwine with cinnamon, black pepper, thyme, all wrapped in silky, mouth-filling tannins. Simultaneously fresh and plush. The supple tannin framework provides a delicate and airy structure, and resonates with spice and earth notes. Pair with lamb or salmon in the next 8+ years.