Martha Stoumen 2021 'Benchlands' Red Blend, Mendocino County
Item Number: 17125
UPC: None
Country: USA
Region: California
Sub Region: Mendocino
Appellation/AVA: Mendocino County
Estate Grown Wine: No
Vintage: 2021
Grape(s): 38% Zinfandel / 21% Petite Sirah / 17% Nero d'Avola / 16% Carignan / 4% Valdiguié / 4% Colombard
Type: Wine - Red
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 12.5
Viticulture: Practicing Organic
Case Production: 772
Vinification Notes: Zinfandel, both Petite Sirahs, and Nero d’Avola were each fermented separately in small batches while the Carignan, Valdiguié, and Colombard grapes were harvested and co-fermented as one lot (red and white grapes together). The components were kept separate after pressing and aged in neutral oak barriques and larger 500-liter puncheons. Racked, blended, and bottled after 5 months unfined and unfiltered.
SO2 Notes: Free SO2 8 mg/L, total SO2 24 mg/L.
Vineyard Notes:
~ The Zinfandel and Petite Sirah come from Chiarito-Ling Vineyard, Ukiah, Mendocino County; dry-farmed (non-irrigated) vineyard, farmed by Martha Stoumen's team according to organic principles (no pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers); gravelly loam soils.
~ The Petite Sirah comes from Bricarelli Ranch, Ukiah, Mendocino County, 15-year-old head trained, dry farmed (non-irrigated) vineyard, farmed by Martha Stoumen's team to organic principles (no pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers); gravelly loam soils.
~ The Nero d’Avola comes from Fox Hill Vineyard, Talmage Bench, Mendocino County; 34-year-old vines; farmed according to organic principles; sandstone and pebbly loam soils.
~ The Carignan, Valdiguié, and Colombard come from Ricetti Vineyard, Redwood Valley, Mendocino County; planted in 1948; dry-farmed (non-irrigated), certified organic vineyard; gravelly loam soils.
Tasting Notes: This wine soaks up all the subtleties of summer play with a nod to the uplifted Mendocino benchlands where these vines are planted. Expect aromas of sarsaparilla and cherry cola, a buoyant texture, and notes of orange, cinnamon and tart cherry.
Martha's Notes: "The Benchlands blend was resurrected in 2019 (original vintage was 2015) as a result of a new vineyard we started leasing and farming in 2019 in Mendocino County called Chiarito-Ling. Deviating from the 2015 and 2019 vintages a smidgen, in 2020 we added some juicy carbonic Petite Sirah from both of our self-farmed vineyards. Our inspiration only grew deeper in 2021, when we co-fermented Carignan, Valdiguié, and Colombard from Ricetti Vineyard to further lean into this buoyant expression. This wine is inspired by the Italian farming tradition where grapes were planted on the poorer soils of the uplifted benchlands of Mendocino County (the rich valley floor soils were reserved for vegetables). All of the vineyards in this blend are planted on those uplifted benchlands."