Winemakers Notes: 2023 produced a bumper crop of Grenache from our estate vineyard and we took the opportunity given by mother nature's abundance to make the fresh, lively, and fruit-forward "Fresco" for the first time since 2019. Neither a rosé nor a typical red, "Fresco" is a chillable, light-bodied wine in the Beaujolais-style using carbonic maceration, and is a wonderful easy-drinking accompaniment to a backyard BBQ or pizza night.

Winemaking: One ton of whole cluster Grenache was gently placed into an open top tank to preserve as many whole berries as possible. We then added approximately 90 gallons of our saignée from crushed Grenache into the whole cluster tank. Spontaneous fermentation ensued with a high percentage of carbonic maceration and no added sulfur for seven days before pressing. The resulting must was racked into small stainless steel drums where primary and malolactic fermentations completed at a low temperature and the wine aged sur lie for 5 months. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered with a very small sulfur addition.

Vineyard: Our estate vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, known as “the Vinegrove,” features several different blocks with unique exposures and soil types. The main “swale” in the center was recently field grafted to Grenache on the nearly 30-year old rootstock planted in very fine Laughlin loam. Isolated up in the hills, it is a few degrees cooler than the valley floor, allowing for balance and elegance in our expression of Grenache. To craft the “Fresco” we utilize the lowest-lying, slowest ripening blocks in the vineyard and harvest at lower sugar levels, maximizing freshness and acidity.