Chill Pill $25
Forlorn Hope “Queen of the Sierra”
the place
Calaveras County, California
the grapes
Zinfandel, Barbera, Tempranillo, Trousseau noir, and Mondeuse
the process
All fruit for our estate red was hand-picked; fermentation was allowed to begin spontaneously with native yeast. Most lots were fermented separately due to different pick dates. All lots were pressed at dryness, averaging 14-21 days total time on the skins, and placed into neutral 227L barrique. After racking they remained in a combination of neutral oak and stainless steel until being bottled unfined and unfiltered. As with all Forlorn Hope wines, no new oak is utilized, and nothing was added to the must or wine (no cultured yeast, ML bacteria, water, tartaric acid, enzymes, nutrients, etc) with the exception of minimal effective SO2.
the price
BOTTLE: $25 | GLASS: $11
Sfera Rosso
the place
Sicily, Italy
the grapes
Nero d’Avola, Perricone and Cataratto
the process
VINE AGE: 20 years old VINE TRAINING: Guyot HARVEST DATE: second week of September YEASTS: Native FERMENTATION: the grapes are co-fermented for 10 days, with a 5 days maceration on the skins. No clarification or filtration MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION: Yes
the price
BOTTLE: $25 | GLASS: $11
Las Jaras “Sweet Berry”
the place
Mendocino County, California
the grapes
52% Carignan | 25% Zinfandel | 12% Charbono | 11% Petite Sirah
the process
All of the fruit was hand-picked and each block selected and fermented separately. A slightly different process was employed for each fermentor in order to bring out more complexity in the blend. There were no additions to the fruit when it was received and added to tanks. All lots were native-yeast fermented in open-top fermenters without cold soaks. Some Carignan lots were 20% whole-cluster while others were 50%, but most were destemmed entirely. Punchdowns gradually decreased. We drained and pressed just before or at dryness and aged in neutral 228L Burgundy barrels or a combination of new and used French 600L demi-muids and 500L puncheons. Zinfandel was 100% destemmed, drained and pressed at dryness and aged in neutral French oak 600L demi-muids. Carbonic maceration was used for the Charbono; whole clusters were placed in open tanks with dry ice. Set at 65°F, the tank was sealed for 7 days. On pressing day, we dug out the tank and added the whole clusters to a horizontal bladder press and gently crushed the grapes to avoid picking up too much structure from the skins. The juice was then fermented in a stainless steel tank with 10ppm SO2 added and transferred at dryness to age in neutral French 228L Burgundy barrels. We racked with light lees and blended into 3 blocks that following Spring. That gave the more structured lots a chance to marry with the leaner to achieve cohesion in the blend. We racked and blended all of the lots into the single blend one month before bottling, and one week before bottling the wine was racked clean to a new tank. We bottled without fining or filtration.
the price
BOTTLE: $49 | GLASS: $21
Claus Preisinger Blaufränkisch Kalkstein
the place
Burgenland, Austris
the grapes
100% Blaufränkisch
the process
Farming Practice: Certified biodynamic Vinification: Stainless steel tanks, unfined and unfiltered Fermentation: Spontaneous fermentation Elevage: Aged for eight months in large neutral barrels
the price
BOTTLE: $31 | GLASS: $14