Jolie Laide 2023 Gamay Noir

Sonoma County. Pressed to neutral barrique for a 6 month élevage and bottled young to preserve freshness and delicate aromatics. Light, fresh, and utterly charming. Wild strawberry and summer herbs with cranberry tartness.

Our 2023 is a combination of two dramatic sites both perfectly suited for growing Gamay. With a heightened exposure to the elements Las Cimas Vineyard lies on the northern side of Sonoma County. The vines are north-east facing at 800 feet elevation and are planted in Franciscan soils layered with quartz and schist. The second is a brand-new vineyard for us on the west side of the Fountaingrove AVA (a small sub AVA of Sonoma County bordering Bennet Valley, Sonoma Valley, Chalk Hill, Russian River Valley) where we had our first crop of Gamay in 2023. Here the vines are grown in well-drained iron rich ancient volcanics mixed with Franciscan bedrock or “Sonoma Volcanics.”

Upon arriving at the winery, the clusters are left whole as fermentation is started by carbonic maceration then crushed by foot where it finishes whole cluster for skin contact and extraction. The aim here is to ballast the fruity high tone aromatics of carbonic maceration with the intensity and structure of whole cluster fermentation; a wine that is light and fresh but with an underlying seriousness and complexity. Pressed to neutral barrique for a 6 month élevage and bottled young to preserve freshness and delicate aromatics.  Winery Notes