Martha Stoumen 2019 Nero d'Avola, Mendocino County
Item Number: 16259
UPC: None
Country: USA
Region: California
Sub Region: Mendocino
Appellation/AVA: Mendocino County
Estate Grown Wine: No
Vintage: 2019
Grape(s): 100% Nero d’Avola
Type: Wine - Red
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 13
Viticulture: Practicing Organic
Case Production: 504
Vinification Notes: The Nero d'Avola grapes were destemmed and fermented in tank with a combination of pump overs and punch downs until dry. The wine aged on its lees in neutral barrels for 12 months. After 12 months: racked off lees, vineyard components blended, and put back to barrel for an additional 6 months of aging (a total of 18 months barrel aging). The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Total sulfites equal 21 mg/L.
Vineyard Notes:
- 75% Benson Ranch Vineyard, Ukiah, Mendocino County: 14-year-old dry farmed (no irrigation) vines, gravelly loam soils
- 25% Fox Hill Vineyard, Talmage Bench, Mendocino County: 33-year-old vines (as far as we know the oldest Nero d’Avola in CA), sandy loam soils
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 the California coast, 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. I’ve been making this wine since 2014 and recently others in California are asking for cuttings and planting Nero d’Avola at their sites—I’m excited to see this amazing grape spread in California!"