Aged on lees for 18 months after whole-cluster fermentation/pressing, this white has notes of lemon curd and pear, with a crisp acid contour and pleasing minerality.
As the name ("fougue" translates as 'ardor') indicates, this is a wine with impact, with cherry florality on the nose and notes of stonefruit and lemon curd on the palate, and an almond-y finish. Like some passions, this one needs time: open a day in advance for its full expression.
A nose of honeycomb and white tea turns into crisply ripe melon on the palate. No oak and no malo make this a great summer patio drink, or a great pairing with rich, cream-of-etcetera soups.
The Palmberg vineyard is Stein's finest, with 90 year old ungrafted vines. This Spatlese Feinherb, from the second pass of harvesting, adds depth and complexity to the wine with some sweetness, orange blossom aroma, and an endless finish.
Stirm's Chardonnay is grown at high elevations in the Santa Cruz Mountains, south of San Francisco. The wine is treated with a light touch of oak aging for a year and is bottled with a beautiful acidity.
Trenzado is a white blend, mostly Listan Blanco, from century old vineyards trellised in the traditional Canary Islands method of a braided cord. The wine is fresh and has a reduction typical of volcanic Canary Islands wines.