Varieties: Barbera, Dolcetto, Freisa, Nebbiolo, and Grignolino
Location: Mendocino County, CA
Alcohol: 12.9%

In Italy, the house wine is often light, fresh and firmly structured so as to pair beautifully next to a wide range of foods, and that is the inspiration for this blend. The 2021 is both deep and savory while also being light and fresh. Dark cherry, iron and sanguine notes, warm spices, dried herbs, violets, and graphite are highlights of the aromas. The mouth feel is a joyful interplay of brightness with chewy bass notes before the seriousness kicks in with a firm acid and tannin balance on the finish.

The wines were left largely whole cluster and all fermentations started with carbonic maceration, though none of them were pushed to be fully carbonic wines. Instead, the initial lift in aromatics and push on frothy fresh fruits was achieved, and then the wines were fully treaded to allow fermentation to switch to a more standard flow. All of the wines were pressed a touch early to ensure that the tannic structure was appropriate for a shorter time in barrel, just four months in neutral oak.

The fruit comes from Fox Hill Vineyard, Lost Hills Ranch, and our new (yet to be named) site in Russian River Valley. Fox Hill lends depth, Lost Hills balances with vibrancy and bright aromatics, and the Russian River site gives a core of fresh fruit and spice. In the end, Mendocino is on display with high and low tones and a very pleasant rusticity while Russian River Valley fills the gaps to make the wine cohesive.