2023 Alder Springs

Nose of peach and white pepper. Present acidity with notes of pineapple, grapefruit, and minerality. SR (3/24)

At 2,500 feet near Laytonvillle in Mendocino County, winter snow and twice normal rainfall prolonged dormancy. Cool weather persisted throughout the growing season pushing harvest back to late October. Towering redwoods protect the vines from extreme weather while proximity to the Pacific Ocean adds a unique salinity. This lovely wine will be exciting all summer. SR (12/23)

After collecting soil samples from more than 40 potential vineyard locations, Stu Bewley considered a former cattle ranch in rugged Mendocino county. He doubted the rugged, remote, high-altitude property would be suitable for viticulture but the results were a complete surprise – far outperforming anything he’d seen. The minerals and mix of nutrients in the soil were excellent, but the drainage was breathtaking. He purchased the 6000-acre property in 1991. Located in the far northern reaches of Mendocino County, the vineyard sits just 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The hilly landscape climbs to 4,000 feet and offers nearly perfect growing conditions: bright sun, cool nights, phenomenal low-vigor soils. Since 1993, they have planted 140+ acres of grapes spanning everything from classic to esoteric varieties.

Rainfall: 60 inches (above average)
Bloom: Mid to Late June
Weather: After three years of drought, the vineyard received plenty of rain in December and January. Though rains tapered off if in February and March, cold temperatures across Northern California delayed bud break by about 3 weeks. Such delay had not been observed since 2011 and conditions remained mild well into the fall. This allowed for fruit maturity to develop over a longer and steadier time period.

Harvest Date: 31 October
Grapes: Average Brix 22.5˚
TA: 8.90 g/L
pH: 3.33
Fermentation: 100% direct-to-press, stainless steel fermentation
Aging: Three months in stainless steel barrels

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, 15.6ppm 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: 90.2

No. of Tasting Notes: 9

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