2022 Alder Springs

Focused fruit on the nose with notes of pineapple, orange peel, lime, and honeysuckle. Proximity to the Pacific Ocean creates a mouthwatering salinity with flavors of grapefruit, tangerine, peach, and pear. SR (11/22)

Alder Springs is twelve miles from the Pacific on steep terrain surrounded by towering redwoods. At 2550 feet elevation, the falanghina and vermentino are parcel mates. Severe cold weather in May frosted 70% of the falanghina, but due to the date of its bud break, vermentino was spared. Cool weather persisted after veraison, pushing harvest back to October 20th. This delectable wine will delight all summer long. SR (12/22)

The 2022 vintage marks our fourth small bottling from the Alder Springs Vineyard. Located in the far northern reaches of Mendocino County on the 6,000-acre Alder Springs Ranch, the vineyard sits just 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean and is an ecological gem as well as an ideal place to grow grapes. Planted to small lots of vermentino and falanghina, the extreme location and steep terrain produces white wines with distinct minerality and bright acidity.

Rainfall: 30 inches (below normal)
Bloom: June
Weather: This was our third season into the drought. Though we had a very dry winter, spring gave the vines some rain, which helped throughout the summer. Though cold temperatures in early May delayed bloom, perfect early-summer temperatures allowed for a bountiful crop.

Harvest Date: 20 October
Grapes: Average Brix 23.5˚
TA: 8.90 g/L
pH: 3.33
Fermentation: 100% direct-to-press, whole-cluster fermentation
Aging: Three months in stainless steel drums

Hand-harvested, sustainably grown grapes; whole cluster pressed; fermented on the native yeasts; natural malolactic bacteria; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35ppm at crush, 71.4ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

Average Rating: 85

No. of Tasting Notes: 5

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