Comprised of dijonnaise clones 114 and 115, Carrie’s 4.9 acres sits on the mesa next to the Terraces’ sections with only room for a tractor separating the two blocks. Carrie’s has several feet of dense clay and slightly less wind pressure than its sister block Terraces. Also enhancing the extremity of this site is the gravitational pull on the three exposed sides which forces the roots to struggle searching deeper for sustenance. The vines from Carrie’s consistently produce a juxtaposition: on one hand the fruit is richly concentrated and focused, while on the other, it expresses subtlety and finesse. The fruit was fermented in small (1.5 ton) open-top fermenters. Total skin and stem contact averaged 30 days (7 day cold soak, 2 + weeks of fermentation and 1 + week extended maceration.) From the press, the wine was transferred directly into neutral barrel where it remained sur lie with no sulfur until April, when it was gently racked for the first time and prepared for bottling in July. 33% stem inclusion. Neutral oak. Yields at 2.3 lbs./plant (2.1 tons/acre).
Tasting Notes: More specific than its sibling Terraces, this wine has a dark core of black nuances of raspberry, cherry, chocolate, coffee bean and soy that mix with lifted prettier tones of sage, chamomile tea and lavender. There is also an intoxicating spice aroma of maple, miso, filberts, sea salt and shortbread. The wine is brawnier and chalkier than the Terraces and envelopes your entire palate finishing both savory and with significant time.
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