We have been hard at work to prepare for Harvest 2021. This upcoming harvest is going to be BIG for Terratorium. We have plans to produce FOUR new wines under our portfolio. Said another way, we are doubling the portfolio of our tiny winery. In fact, our rosé is already in the winery and being processed.
This expansion means we have a range of wines to offer you for any occasion. We also are exploring four new geographies or "American Viticultural Areas" (AVAs) with this expansion. Our harvest plan maintains our commitment to exploring new "terroir" in keeping with our winery's name - Terratorium.
We are so excited to share these wines with you. Keep reading to find the profile of each wine along with their anticipated release date
Rosé of Grenache - Starfield Vineyards
El Dorado AVA
Our first rosé wine will be sourced from the Starfield Vineyards site in the El Dorado AVA. This region continues to receive accolades as it produces more and more compelling fruit through unique terroir. Just west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains at 2400 feet this high-elevation site has a later start to the growing season but catches up in the progression of fruit maturity- due to the warm days. The nights at Starfield remain cool allowing the grapes to retain the freshness of a mountain viticulture site.
We intentionally selected Grenache as the grape variety to work with for our rosé as it is known for having wonderful flavors of watermelon, red fruits, lemonade, and more herbaceous elements like cucumber and floral aromas that showcase in our intended dry style of rosé (i.e. no leftover sugar after the fermentation) beautifully. Grenache rosés are known to pair well with Mexican, Moroccan, and Indian cuisines so this wine can go well with food or for sipping by itself. (Anticipated Release - Spring '22)
Riesling - Tondré Grapefields
Santa Lucia Highlands
We source our 2021 Terratorium Riesling from the Tondré Grapefield out of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. The site is located in the heart of Monterey County where Joe Alarid and his family have farmed the land for decades, planting the first vines in 1997.
There is a limited amount of Riesling planted at Tondré and we were lucky to secure fruit from the site as it is perfectly suited to cool climate Riesling production. The Santa Lucia Highlands are characterized by protruding, southeast-facing slopes, strong maritime influences from Monterey Bay, and ancient glacial soils consisting of decomposed granite, gravel, and sandy loam.
These conditions create fruit perfectly suited for Terratoriums "Trocken" or Dry style Riesling. We are all excited about this wine's potential to surprise people who think there is only one style of Riesling out there (*ahem* ... sweet). If you're not a Riesling drinker get ready to be surprised because this is truly one of the greatest white grapes in the world!! (Anticipated Release- Spring '22)
Cabernet Franc - T-T Ranch
Alexander Valley
The T-T Ranch grapes were used in our 2018 Cabernet Franc current release and we will be crushing their Cabernet Franc grapes again this coming Harvest.
Located on the foothills of the Mayacamas mountains our block sits at 470 ft elevation overlooking the Alexander Valley AVA showcasing a diversity of rocky volcanic and shale soils characteristic of this area. This complex terroir lends itself to showcasing the dark red fruits and herbaceous flavors of the Cab Franc variety in a truly compelling way. The expression of the fruit profile is fitting for the rugged and rocky vineyard that was historically used as a cattle ranch before being converted to vines.
We are excited to continue to work with these vines and understand how the vintage impacts the profile of the Cabernet Franc wines we make. We are confident this site will continue to deliver a juicy delicious medium-bodied red wine. (Anticipated Release - Spring '23)
Single Vineyard Pinot Noir
Anderson Valley
We are extremely excited to source this single-vineyard Pinot Noir from a new grower partner who is truly part of the upper echelon of grape-growing. We intentionally sourced this fruit from the Anderson Valley AVA - which is located 100 miles north of San Francisco. It is one of the coolest commercial grape growing regions in the United States, and is known for high-quality small production wines. However, since this is a new relationship we cannot release the name of this vineyard quite yet, but will as soon as we can.
The vineyard is located in the "Deep End" of the Anderson Valley, which is particularly cool and possessing unique terroir perfect for Burgundian grape varieties. The soils of this site are blanketed with a layer of ancient marine sediment that enables the grapes to maintain a slow ideal ripening process that mimics the soils of Pinot Noir's Old World origin. (Anticipated Release - Fall '22)
Special Spring 2022 Limited Release- Santa Rita Hills AVA Pinot Noir
Drum Canyon Vineyard
As a special limited release, we sourced 2020 Pinot Noir from our friends at Dierberg Starlane using their Drum Canyon Vineyard site located in the Santa Rita Hills AVA in Santa Barbara County, CA. The Dierberg's are committed to high quality viticulture and have acquired their vineyards, after an exhaustive search that truly spanned the globe. They proudly state that their vineyards and winery has a 250 Year plan where they intend to keep farming and making wine from their property for generations. This plan includes working with heritage vine clone materials, sustainable farming practices, and a commitment to high quality winemaking. You can see why we jumped at the opportunity to partner with this great winemaking brand and team for the release of this special wine.
The Santa Rita Hills AVA is recognized as the ideal terroir for growing cool climate varieties, like Pinot Noir, and continues to receive greater recognition each year. The Drum Canyon Vineyard was planted in 2003. The site can be challenging terrain to farm with persistent, steady winds rolling through the canyon produce an environment that highlights expressive California Pinot Noir perfume while retaining density and structure. The climate and soil combination results in wines that have a lean and crisp structure. (Anticipated Release Spring '22)
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