I’ve been making Chardonnay for years for other wineries. This is the first time I’ve bottled one for Miro Cellars. Aromas of apple and lemon blossoms tempt the first sip. Flavors of ripe Granny Smith apple meld with pineapple and honeysuckle. The mouthfeel is satiny, buttery, yet crisp on the long and satisfying finish. This wine is bound to become one of your favorite Chardonnays. Only 350 cases produced.
WINEMAKER’S NOTES: I have returned to the origins of my first Miro wine of twenty years ago: Petite Sirah from Coyote Ridge Vineyard. The vines are more mature and the flavors have become more complex as well. This is Petite Sirah at its finest—dark, delicious and full of flavors of ripe blue berries, blackberries, dark plums and licorice. On the mouth the wine is big and extracted but not overly tannic finishing long and satisfying. Only 56 cases produced.
Located near the top of Pine Mountain, this vineyard is 2600 feet above the valley of the Russian River. The moderating temperature inversion at that elevation supports softer, more velvety tannins, intense color in the wine, concentrated wild berry aromas, and enhanced variety-specific flavors of dark fruit, minerality, and rich spice. 280 cases made.
Vineyard: Originally planted by Martha’s grandparents, Pasquale & Maria Bastoni in 1906, she and her husband, Russ Messana now cultivate 35 acres of vines. After a century of growing Zinfandel, Palomino, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet and Carignane, the vineyard had to be replanted in 2005 when yields became too low to maintain. Her grandfather and father sold their fruit to a variety of wineries over the years including Italian Swiss Colony, Charles Krug and Geyser Peak. Currently planted with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Alicante Bouschet, the Messana’s maintain a family tradition of farming and community in the Fountaingrove District AVA just east of Santa Rosa.
Vintage: The 2021 harvest year was near perfect for growing grapes and a second year of a lighter than normal crop. The berry size was smaller than average delivering exceptional flavors, intense color, beautiful grapes, fruit forward and ripe. The season started early and cold and it was void of long, lingering heatwaves leading to relatively early to normal harvest dates with most grapes ripening at the same time.
Winemaking: The fruit was handled in the gentlest way possible, hand sorted and fermented in small open top fermenters with minimum hand punch-downs per day. As usual the most effort was in extracting as much of the beautiful Zin aromas without the harsh tannins. The malolactic fermentation was done in barrels; aging was done in 20% new European oak barrels for about 17 months.
Vineyard: Wolcott-Bevill is just off Dry Creek road on a hill with south eastern exposure. The vines are about 30 years old and trellised. The soils are typical for Dry Creek Valley Cortina type-yellow/ red with fine structure and relatively less fertile and shallow.
Vintage: The 2021 harvest year was near perfect for growing grapes and a second year of a lighter than normal crop. The berry size was smaller than average delivering exceptional flavors, intense color, beautiful grapes, fruit forward and ripe. The season started early and cold and it was void of long, lingering heatwaves leading to relatively early to normal harvest dates with most grapes ripening at the same time.
Winemaking: The grapes were harvested early morning still cold from the night and de-stemmed only with no crushing and fermented in 1/2t open top bins with punch downs. The fermentation was very slow due to relatively low temperature but eventually it finished dry. The wine was aged in 25% new French oak barrels for about 17 months. Before bottling 10% Petite Sirah from the same vineyards was blended in as well.