Emme 'Violet Sky' Valdiguie 2023 (750 ml)

Variety: Valdiguie

Vineyard: Ricetti

AVA: Redwood Valley, Mendocino, CA

Farming: Organic, Dry Farmed

Harvest Date: Handpicked on 8 October 2022

Bottling Date: 23 March 2023

Alc: 10%

Cases: 100

Always the slowest fruit to ripen at Ricetti, in 2023 the Valdiguié really struggled to gain sugar.  We worried about it at first and wanted to hang it into late October, but the vines are old and were beginning to shut down.  So, we decided to go with the season, and picked the fruit at about 19 brix.  This is less sugar than I generally pick at, and the resulting wine is very low in alcohol (10%).  It is shockingly bright and juicy, and I am looking forward to watching the 2023 Valdiguié age.

At the winery, the Valdiguié fruit was partially foot crushed and left to ferment whole cluster for 7 days.  After pressing, the wine finished primary fermentation in stainless steel, then was moved to neutral barrique to age for 5 months.

Indigenous yeast fermentation. No added sulfur, no other additions, unfined and unfiltered.

Due to its high acidity, the 2023 Valdiguié is of a particularly intense violet hue, and I named it to reflect that color.

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