A Vermentino that recalls the Mediterranean with bright citrus notes, and slight nutty richness framed by structure and salinity. Enjoy now or keep for later.
Variety: 100% Vermentino
Vineyard: Rorick Heritage Vineyard
Location: Calaveras County
Alcohol: 12%
Production: 60 cases
Vermentino thrives along the Mediterranean coast and islands of Italy and France, where it can be found in any number of styles. This interpretation recalls the more structured iterations hailing from the sun-drenched limestone crags of Patrimono in Corsica, mixing brighter notes of blood orange, quince, and lemon verbena with a honeyed almond, marzipan richness, all held in focus by refreshing salinity and intense acidity. Enjoy now or keep for later.
Grapes were tread and left on the skins to soak for a couple of hours before being pressed to plastic vats for primary fermentation. After 10 days the wine was racked to neutral French oak barrels. No inoculations, nor blocking of malolactic fermentation, and no filtration. A small amount of sulfur was added when the different lots were combined, roughly six weeks before bottling in October 2022.
This Vermentino comes from the steep slopes of the Rorick Heritage Vineyard near Murphys in the Sierra Foothills, planted at roughly 2,000 feet above sea level, and farmed organically by Matthew Rorick, Danielle Shehab, and their talented collaborationists. The ancient soils here are a mélange of shist and limestone, unique to this corner of California.
