2020 White Wine
50% Chenin Blanc/ 50% Sauvignon Blanc
Santa Barbara County
Alc. 11.5 % by vol.
The Vintage:
We had a pretty mellow and cool growing season, with very little to almost no rain. Chenin was harvested on October 5th, coming in at 19.8 brix. Sauvignon Blanc was harvested on September 16th, coming in at 21.4 Brix.
The Process:
The grapes were hand harvested at night and brought to the winery in the early morning. We dump the fruit into the bladder press and run the press cycle for about 3 hours. The pressed juice is pumped directly to a steel tank and settles for two days. It is racked to neutral French oak barrels for fermentation. We let the juice naturally ferment over the course of 5-6 weeks. Around the three week mark, we consolidate the juice to fill up the slated barrels. From here we top every two weeks and let the wine evolve. We add very small amounts of sulfur to give some age-ability and focus to the wine. The wine is then racked to tank and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
The Wine:
Smelly Smell- Prickly Pear, Orange Blossom, Lemon Twist
Tasty Taste- Nectarine, Lemon Zest, River Rocks (go lick one and you'll know)
Additional Notes:
45 cases produced
Both varietals were vilified and aged separately prior to bottling
Small amounts Sulfur was added at month 5, 6, 7 and just before bottling
No stirring of the barrels
Minimal Intervention Winemaking - Less Is More