Two vineyards make up the blend in the 2019 Winter’s Edge. Casa Verde is planted to a field blend of head pruned and dry farmed 80-year-old Carignane and Grenache vines. The soil is Pinole series. The second, just a stone’s throw away, is venerable Niemi, the Grenache block planted to Alban Clone 1. The soil here is Redvine series.
The harvest of 2019 was a winemaker’s dream, with adequate rains and a long, even growing season.
The vineyards were picked on Oct. 18, 2019. The grapes were harvested by hand, 85% de-stemmed and gently crushed into an open top tank; the remaining 15% were added as whole clusters. Native yeast fermentation began seven days later. At dryness, free-run juice was drained directly into neutral Burgundian barrels. Native malolactic fermentation took a full year to complete. The wine was racked only days prior to bottling. The wine was bottled unfiltered on July 21, 2021.
If ever a wine was crying out for hearty, rib-sticking fare, it’s Winter’s Edge. With its crunchy, red berry-driven flavors, bright acidity, and smooth tannins, it’ll stand up beautifully to seared ribeye steak or a meaty, comforting stew. And if you need a crowd pleaser for your Thanksgiving feast, Winter's Edge will sing with roasted turkey and all the trimmings.
