Troon Vineyard Vermentino Applegate Valley '23

Nate Wall, the winemaker at Troon, a certified biodynamic and Gold regenerative organic winery in southern Oregon, considers Vermentino a favorite white variety. While Vermentino is better known as a variety grown on the Italian island of Sardinia, in the Mediterranean, as well as in other parts of Italy and southern France, this bottling from Applegate Valley, in Southern Oregon, shows that the grape can thrive in this part of the world as well.

After harvest, about 60% of the fruit was loaded directly into the press, and the remaining 40% was foot-treaded and soaked on skins for a few hours before pressing. The juice was settled for about twenty-four hours, then moved to neutral French oak barrels for fermentation. Primary fermentation occurred spontaneously with indigenous/native yeasts and bacteria. The barrel fermentation was cool and slow, taking several months to complete primary fermentation. Malolactic fermentation also occurred spontaneously, giving the wines a richer, rounder mouthfeel, which was also enhanced by the extended time spent on the primary lees. After about six months in barrel, the wine was racked to a tank for blending, where it received a small sulfur addition before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The nose shows notes of pear, kiwi, red grapefruit, wildflowers, minty herbs, and salted preserved lemon. Savory and medium bodied on the palate, the wine has a fresh, mouth-watering finish. A delicious white that is easy to drink on any occasion.