Donkey & Goat
Alveare Skin Ferment Marsanne
El Dorado County, Sierra Foothills, California, USA
Hazy deep gold; medium plus intensity aromas of yellow apple, apple skin, apple cider, underripe pear, peach skins, underripe peach, mushroom, toasted nuts, yeast, baking spices; dry, medium plus acid, medium tannins, low alcohol, medium body, medium intensity flavors of yellow apple, apple skin, peach skin, yellow peach, apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, yeasty; medium plus finish, very complex and opens up with time
Hazy deep gold; medium plus intensity aromas of yellow apple, apple skin, apple cider, underripe pear, peach skins, underripe peach, mushroom, toasted nuts, yeast, baking spices; dry, medium plus acid, medium tannins, low alcohol, medium body, medium intensity flavors of yellow apple, apple skin, peach skin, yellow peach, apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, yeasty; medium plus finish, very complex and opens up with time
1 person found it helpfulDec 30th, 2018
Slight haze (10 month skin contact in clay vessle, natural ferment, unfined, unfiltered, sediment in bottle) medium yellow-gold
Clean scent, very mild scent of apple cider vinegar, stones, youthful and would be interested to see where the aromas go with age. Smells like a good healthy natural wine.
Dry, medium acidity, medium tannin, medium body, medium intensity of clay and stones, light notes of dry under ripe peach.
Wine is more about texture than fruit and other characteristics. Medium finish.
Nice wine, not your typical Marsanne, look forward to future vintages. Would be interesting to see a portion of the Marsanne (or Roussanne) done in stainless (fruit retention) and blended in. Should talk with Big Basin about Roussanne - “2015 Roussanne Homestead Block is a super-expressive wine. In this vintage, most of the wine (80%) was fermented and aged in amphora, an approach that has worked beautifully here.”
TECHNICAL INFO
* Appellation: El Dorado Vineyard: Fenaughty Varietal: Marsanne Clone: Tablas Age: Planted 1990 Elevation: 2600 feet Soil: Decomposed granite w/red clay loam Harvested: September 12, 2017 Pressed: July 18, 2018 Maceration: 10 months in handmade Italian clay Fermentation: Wild yeast and bacteria Bottled: August 10, 2018 Production: 59 cases Release date: November 2018
Slight haze (10 month skin contact in clay vessle, natural ferment, unfined, unfiltered, sediment in bottle) medium yellow-gold
Clean scent, very mild scent of apple cider vinegar, stones, youthful and would be interested to see where the aromas go with age. Smells like a good healthy natural wine.
Dry, medium acidity, medium tannin, medium body, medium intensity of clay and stones, light notes of dry under ripe peach.
Wine is more about texture than fruit and other characteristics. Medium finish.
Nice wine, not your typical Marsanne, look forward to future vintages. Would be interesting to see a portion of the Marsanne (or Roussanne) done in stainless (fruit retention) and blended in. Should talk with Big Basin about Roussanne - “2015 Roussanne Homestead Block is a super-expressive wine. In this vintage, most of the wine (80%) was fermented and aged in amphora, an approach that has worked beautifully here.”
TECHNICAL INFO
* Appellation: El Dorado Vineyard: Fenaughty Varietal: Marsanne Clone: Tablas Age: Planted 1990 Elevation: 2600 feet Soil: Decomposed granite w/red clay loam Harvested: September 12, 2017 Pressed: July 18, 2018 Maceration: 10 months in handmade Italian clay Fermentation: Wild yeast and bacteria Bottled: August 10, 2018 Production: 59 cases Release date: November 2018