Description
De-stemmed and fermented in open top, one tonne containers called ’T-bins’ Spontaneous fermentation using indigenous yeast. Manual cap punch down 3 times a day. Wine is then manually pressed in small 100 year old basket press. Aged for 12-16 months in neutral french oak barrels.
Sitting 2100ft high in the Mayacamas, in northern California, Sky Vineyards are the highest in Napa Valley. Lore Olds and his daughter Skyla have 5 hectares of vines that grow straight out into the sky. The family have been here since 1979. Lore chose to settle here so that his vines could ripen in the cool, early morning sun and also receive the cool fog of the evening. Off grid power is through solar panels and a single generator, and although the threat of forest fires is constant they insist on dry-farming the vineyards. Lore and Skyla have survived many fires but in 2017 the Nuns fire took their house, many of their vines and the library of wines laid down since the first vintages. All of Lore’s original artwork which has appeared on every year’s release was burnt. However, because they’d made the critical decision to build the winery on the banks of a stream, it thankfully survived. Thus, winemaking still continues and on inspection of blackened vines that were believed lost, Sky and Lore found many were still alive. Since then Sky has been living in a trailer on the side of her vineyard and despite all odds is still making wine.
The vineyard was first planted in 1973 to Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay but over time the varieties and percentages of what is grown on site have changed significantly. All wines made are from grapes grown exclusively on the property. Sustainable farming is practiced including using permanent cover crops and the use of organic fertilizers. After the young vines are established, the vineyards are also dry farmed (which is fairly rare on hillsides – more common on the valley floor where the water table is closer to the surface). The amount of rocks in parts of their vineyards is rather remarkable. In the early days, Lore even remembers planting some young vines by using a long solid steel bar to break up and pry in between the rocks just to create enough space to insert the rootstock.
Biodynamic farming
Minimal winemaking
13.5% / 75cl
