Martha Stoumen Nero d'Avola 2021

Native to the shores of Sicily, the Nero d’Avola varietal strikes a wonderful balance of bright acidity and dark forest fruits. Winemaker Martha Stoumen worked with the Nero d’Avola grape in Sicily and has brought her knowledge to Mendocino County. Look for dark fruit notes of black plum and black cherry with dried herbs and black licorice linger across the finish. If you enjoy a nice Malbec or smooth Merlot, try this hidden gem.

Dry-farmed Nero d’Avola from two organic vinyards (78% Bricarelli Ranch, 22% Venturi Vineyard) with gravelly loam soils, harvested separately and both 100% destemmed. Bricarelli Nero d’Avola fermented in an open-top stainless steel tank with a mix of pumpovers and manual punchdowns, then pressed prior to dryness. The wine completed primary fermentation in a concrete tank before racking to neutral oak barrique and larger 500L puncheons. Venturi Nero d’Avola fermented in a small T-bin with manual punch-downs and pressed prior to dryness. Both Nero d’Avolas spent 12 months on full lees in neutral oak barrique, then racked off lees, blended, and returned to barrel for an additional 8 months of aging prior to bottling. Unfined. Unfiltered. Sediment expected.

Martha's Notes: "The beauty of Nero d’Avola is its Chiaroscuro-like nature: brightness from its ability to hold onto acidity in warm Mediterranean climates, and darkness from its characteristic forest fruits. I spent a very impactful vintage working with this grape at COS in Sicily, so the fact that Nero d’Avola even exists in California—AND I get to work with it in both the vineyard and cellar—makes my heart happy. While everyone else is clamoring for cool climate sites along coastal California, I am proud to be looking inland, where the hotter climate and shorter spring season make low-input farming a reality. I still want to make elegant wines, so it just means thinking outside of the box with the choice of varieties. Nero d’Avola is a perfect natural fit."

Only 333 cases made.