AROMA: graphite, baked blueberries, bay laurel
FLAVOR: raspberry liqueur, hibiscus, sarsparilla
FOOD PAIRINGS: barbacoa tacos, peking duck, mixed grill
VINIFICATION: 4.1 tons were meticulously field-sorted and hand-picked on October 12. Half of the fruit was destemmed and crushed under foot, the other 50% fermented whole-cluster. Spontaneous fermentation followed, with regular pumpovers for 18 days. Lightly pressed into neutral oak barrels for a quiet nine month slumber, and went to bottle unfined/unfiltered.
SITE: Some of the oldest known Vitis vinifera plantings in California live on this ranch. Our block of Valdiguie, selected for improved vigor, is considered "young vine" at 30+ years old. The vines are head-trained and dry-farmed organically on red clay soils strewn with fist-sized rocks. At 900ft elevation, an extreme diurnal shift necessitates longer hang times (and a steady temperament). The vineyard is overseeen by Athan and Denise Poulos, cousins to the Lolonis family.
NOTES: It took us several vintages to figure out the mysterious grape that is Valdiguie. With no varietal Valdiguie benchmarks from which to draw inspiration, we were left to figure it out via trial and error. In 2018 (our sixth humble attempt!) we finally cracked the code and made a wine that elicited an "ah-ha!" moment in the cellar. Not like Gamay, not like Syrah, but kind of like a mashup of the two, we offer up the very fine 2019 installment which saw 50% fermented on whole clusters with lots of carbonic energy, the other half destemmed and treated like Pinot Noir. The result is a floral, black-fruited, medium weight red that likes a slight chill and pairs with just about anything. Incredibly rare, you'll be the first one on your block to uncork a bottle. Val-dee-gay!
