AROMA: pink peppercorn, violet liqueur, black raspberry
FLAVOR: brandy soaked cherry, starburst, rose hips
FOOD PAIRINGS: Duck confit, oil poached tuna, Cuban sandwich
VINIFICATION: 2 T of Swan clone harvested on 10/7 and 4 tons of 115 and 777 harvested on 10/9. All three clones were fermented on 25% whole clusters in open-top tanks with native yeasts. A 4-day cold soak preceded one daily punch down and pump-over during a 15-day fermentation. Aged for 10-mos in 28% new French oak. Bottled unfined/unfiltered.
SITE: This historic vineyard sits on the south side of route 128, 11 miles from the coast at elevations of 250-500 ft. Soils comprised of mainly decomposed sandstone result in a struggle for nutrients and water, keeping the resulting fruit load of the vineyard in natural balance. The first blocks were planted in 1963; ours in 2000 to clones 115, 777, and Swan. Edmeades is quintessential Anderson Valley with densely forested rolling hills, frequent fog, and the Navarro River running through it.
NOTES: Edmeades is ideally situated in the deep end of the Anderson Valley on the south side of Hwy-128. The vineyard faces SxSW and tumbles down a sandstone slope into the Navarro River. Redwoods abound. A reliable breeze blows off the ocean surface and gets funneled through the vineyard and down valley towards Boonville. When you get a few local winemakers talking privately about the best terroirs in the Anderson Valley, the former Londer property in Philo often gets mentioned. The new owners bought the historic Edmeades property next door too, adjoined the two sites, and elected to carry forward the family name credited with planting the first-ever vineyard in the Anderson Valley AVA (c)1963. EDMEADES. We were graciously offered our pick of the litter and selected three blocks on the old Londer side which includes some heritage Swan clone. The droughty 2021 vintage gave us tiny clusters packed with flavor intensity and showcases the signatures of the Anderson Valley's prestigious deep end—freshly picked purple berries and red florals.
