The 2005 vintage provided an excellent opportunity to farm the Inox sections the way we prefer. Record rainfalls in December 2004 completely cleansed the soils creating healthy canopy growth and an excellent cluster set. This allowed us to methodically pick cluster by cluster, selecting only the most golden and ripe fruit. We passed through the vineyard four different times over a five week period securing only this most specific and prized fruit. Upon immediate and gentle whole-cluster pressing, the juice was transferred into two small stainless steel tanks where it remained until the time of bottling without any contact with oak.
The wine fermented for three months at an average temperature of 38° F to capture and enhance the fruit’s elegance and beauty. The subsequent cold storage prohibited the onset of malo-lactic fermentation, which was avoided for the same reasons. The wine remained on its lees, without any disturbance, for five months before being filtered and then bottled by gravity. Inox, French for stainless steel, has proven a suitable title for this wine, whose minimalist approach protects the purity and precision of such a designation.
Tasting Notes: This year’s Inox has a bright golden--green hue marked by subtle nuances of ocean spray and wet sand. White and green floral herbal aromas of gardenia, tarragon and watercress also weave through. Dominant fruit elements become more evident as the wine opens drifting towards green and orange melon, yellow dried-fruit, lime skin and citrus oil. The palate impression is lively and vivacious and balanced by a velour-like fleshy texture. The 2005 Inox ends slightly fuller than previous vintages yet remains graceful .
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