AROMA: Thai basil, Amalfi lemon, granite
FLAVOR: camphor, quartz, grapefruit pith
FOOD PAIRINGS: green chicken curry, kebob, aguachile
VINIFICATION: 4.62 T were hand-harvested on Oct 1st. Fruit was whole cluster pressed, intentionally oxidized, and cold settled. Wine fermented on native yeasts in 100% stainless steel, and underwent a spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Aged in tank on the
lees for 4-mos and bottled unfined/unfiltered.
SITE: The Lost Slough Vineyard in Yolo County sits in the heart of
the Clarksburg AVA. It is planted below sea level (!) on the black peat soils of the California Delta, to the east of the San Francisco Bay. An advanced levee system here holds back the vast tidal river waters. This interior zone sees hot days and cold nights which quickly ripens the fruit and invites earlier harvest dates. The vineyard is under the direction of Steve Matthiasson who
is farming it with no herbicides or pesticides.
NOTES: Last year, our friend Steve Matthiasson told us he was involved with an organic Cortese vineyard on a spit of sand in the middle of the Sacramento delta. He went on to describe a site that
“…used to flood during King tides until they devised a levy system to keep the brackish water out. A sandy site full of sea shells (!!)." Yolo County has never been on our radar. It seemed a place far too hot for LIOCO's preferred acid-driven style.
And here is where the learning is! Turns out this warm, interior California terroir is well suited for a vigorous, sun-loving white grape like Cortese. Our first attempt with this wine in 2022 made us believers. In the winter of 2023 we signed a contract with growers Chuck & Iris Harrison, and set about a way to refine our wine from Lost Slough. A few notable changes in 2023: (1) we picked much earlier, (2) we foot tread and cold soaked a couple bins, and (3) we vinified it in 100% stainless steel to accentuate the inherent snappiness. The resulting wine is more in line with a classical Gavi di Gavi from Piemonte, but still retains that sun-kissed California fun.
