2023 Chenin Blanc fruit is night-harvested from an old vine vineyard in the Clarksburg AVA on the Sacramento River. We lightly whole cluster press the fruit to a stainless steal tank where we let the juice chill at 50°F for two days to settle. On the third day, we clean-rack it to a smaller tank leaving the heavy sediment behind. We let the wine slowly start fermenting, keeping the temperature cool, below 56°F, to achieve freshness and preserve aromatics. The wine ferments in a mixture of vessels giving the wine a variety of textures from the stainless steel, cement, and neutral French oak. All lots are aged on the lees until blended together just prior to bottling. The wine is placed in our cold barrel room to keep the fermentation cool and slow, maintaining freshness and bright aromatics. As the wine slowly ferments for an additional 3 weeks in barrel, we top and stir each barrel weekly. The wine stays in those same barrels for 6 months on lees.
