2023 SavagninSavagnin

In the late winter of 2019 we were gifted a small handful of Savagnin cuttings from a friend in the Jura. These were from a massale selection of Savagnin vert, rose, and jaune; they were all mixed together and there was no telling which was which. In the spring, this mix of buds were grafted onto a small number vines and thus our little parcel of Savagnin was born at Rorick Heritage Vineyard (RHV). 

In the first year the buds took perfectly to the limestone of our site and energetically flushed out into healthy plants producing a small crop – a good start, but just a bit too small of a crop to make into a single cuveé. The second year (2020) we were able to take cuttings from these vines and graft buds onto more vines, roughly doubling our tiny planting. Again the vines showed enthusiasm for the California sun and a small crop was harvested and made into sparkling wine which is still aging in the cellar. Then, in 2021 after repeating the grafting process again we finally had sufficient vines to yield enough fruit for half a barrel of still wine! We lost most of our grapes to frost in 2022, but 2023 was good to us and we once again were able to get a full barrel of wine from the Savagin. After fermentation in barrel we let the wine slowly mature. By tasting it each month, we would noticed it was turning into something truly spectacular. Two and half years later we decided to lock the flavor into bottle and allow it to rest a further 6 months prior to release.

This Savagnin always feels like such a reward for all the time and energy it took to come into being. It's a wonderful blend of complexity and elegance. Delicate floral aromas bloom on the nose, rounded out by the richness of fresh butter and almonds courtesy of a bit of (neutral) barrel aging. On the palate, it’s all about balance—warming toasted nuts, a touch of spice, and a mineral undertone that gives it a fresh, grounded finish. It’s a wine with a bewitching charm and endlessly enjoyable.