2021 vin de skins

story

Scheurebe (pronounced “Shoy-ray-bah” ) is a German Vitis Vinifera resulting from a cross of Riesling with Silvaner. Sometimes known as Sämiling 88, it is primarily grown in Germany and Austria. We went for a triple crown with this wine being a rare varietal, skin fermented, and only a single vintage before the vines were torn out!

The low abv and energetic acidity make for an (almost too) easy summer sipper that is friendly to fresh seafood, asian spices, and sunday picnics. Honeysuckle, garden herbs, orange zest, sea air.  

winemaking

Upon getting the fruit, we whole cluster basket pressed a small section that went into a 30 gallon barrel for native fermentation. The rest of the lot was lightly crushed and destemmed, then dumped into two small open top fermenters for a native ferment on the skins . The barrel fermentation finished in just under two weeks, while the skins ferm took about six weeks due to cool ambient temperature control and hand punch downs twice daily. At about two brix, we basket pressed the fruit and gravity fed the juice into a neutral oak and stainless steel barrel where it completed primary fermentation. It went through about 60% native malolactic fermentation and aged without disturbance for six months. 

Bottled unfined and unfiltered, nothing added/nothing taken away. 

vineyard

The Scheurebe vines that produced this wine were located in the Los Olivos District A.V.A, and farmed by the C5 family. Unfortunately, they were torn out after the 2021 vintage, making this wine the last of its kind! They were planted in the early 1970’s, and farmed in an “untamed” organic fashion. It is a warm site with quite cool evenings due to a close proximity to the Santa Ynez River. We harvested very early to avoid bee damage and maintain high natural acidity with a fresh and juicy aromatic and flavor profile.  

ava: los olivos district

alcohol: 10.3%

ph: 3.43

titratable acidity: 6.6 g/l

harvest date: 10/9/2021

brix at harvest: 18

press date: 11/23/2021

processing: skin fermented + basket pressed

elevage: 8 mo. in netural french oak

cases: 69

bottling date: 8/19/2022

tech sheet download