2019 Sonoma County "The Derivative" White Wine
47% Sonoma Valley Semillon, Rossi Ranch
37% Sonoma Valley and Russian River Valley Muscadelle, Mancini and Pagani Ranches
14% Russian River Valley Colombard, Mancini Ranch
2% Russian River Valley Palomino, Mancini Ranch
Semillon from the impeccably (and organically!) farmed Rossi Ranch serves as the base for this year’s Derivative. Picked September 19th at 23.1 Brix, the Semillon was fermented in 26% neutral French oak and 74% stainless steel. The second component of the wine, the old-vine Colombard, Muscadelle, and Palomino from Mancini Ranch, was picked on October 1st at 23.0 Brix. And last but not least, the third component, our old-vine Pagani Ranch Muscadelle, was picked on October 3rd at 22.6 Brix. The final blend was assembled the following spring and lightly fined and filtered (since the wine did not go through malolactic fermentation) at bottling. Like most of our wines, vegan-friendly.
Tasting Note:
Medium-light straw-yellow gold. Very fragrant and lifted aromas of lemon, quince, savory herbs, and dried hay. A slight suggestion of pineapple as well. Medium-full bodied with a surprisingly glyceral feel, flavors very similar to the aromas – lemon, quinine, and dried herbs – lead to a piquant, mineral-driven finish. This will gain additional richness with time but I’ll be honest, we’ve already enjoyed quite a few bottles. Drink 2022 through 2030. (MRO - 07/18/21)