Indigène receives its name from the indigenous or wild yeast with which it is fermented. It is 100% dijonnaise clone 115 from Block B2 on the eastern edge of the vineyard and is the only wine produced at Melville where wild yeast is allowed to carry out the fermentation. The Indigène bottling is somewhat controversial within Melville because one group argues that native yeasts reduce the purity of pinot noir while the other side believes it enhances the diversity. With no opinion being incorrect we encourage you to form your own judgments about the merits of wild yeast vs. cultured yeast fermented wines. 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 December. 0% stem inclusion. Neutral Oak. Yields at 2.8 lbs./plant (2.6 tons/acre).
Tasting Notes: Aromatically sinister, this wine offers dark characteristics of forest floor, mushroom, dried herb, fresh basil and arugula. Contrasting this are lofty nuances of raspberry tea, blueberry, watermelon, sugar cookie
dough, cinnamon stick and black olive. The mouth feel is intense with ample complexity and richness.
On the finish, there is a deep underlying strength that leaves the palate re-freshed and satiated.. |
