‘amando el sol’ Colombard/Chardonnay

Tasting Notes: Racy, crisp, fresh lemon. Tastes like coastal sunshine.

Varieties: Colombard (70%), Chardonnay (30%)

Vineyard: Ricetti (Colombard) and Bazzano (Chardonnay)

AVA: Redwood Valley, CA, Russian River Valley, CA

Farming: Organic, Dry Farmed

Harvest Date: 23 August 2022 (Chardonnay), 7 October 2022 (Colombard)

Bottling Date: 23 March 2023

Alc: 11%

Cases: 170

Colombard from Ricetti Vineyard forms the base for the ‘amando el sol’.  2022 was a particularly late year for Mendocino – extreme heat in early September followed by rain and a prolonged cool period contributed to very slow ripening at Ricetti vineyard.  Consequently, though the Colombard was picked in October, acid remained high and sugar remained low in the fruit, giving us a light, beautifully linear wine.

Once picked, the Colombard was pressed directly, settled overnight, then racked off gross lees into a stainless steel tank for primary fermentation.  After primary finished, the wine was put down to neutral oak barriques and one small concrete egg to age for 6 months.

To add some creaminess and weight to the Colombard, Chardonnay from Bazzano vineyard was picked in late August.  The Chardonnay was pressed directly, left to settle overnight, then racked off gross lees into a small concrete egg and two neutral oak barriques.  After primary fermentation finished, the Chardonnay was racked out of concrete egg and consolidated in neutral barriques to age on lees for 7 months.

In late March, the Chardonnay and Colombard components were racked out of their barriques and blended just before bottling.

Indigenous yeast fermentation. SO2: 15 ppm at bottling.  No other additions, unfined and unfiltered.

‘amando el sol’ means ‘loving the sun’, an ode to bright golden Colombard fruit that ripens happily in the California heat.

https://www.emmewines.com/wines/amandoelsol