Vineyard Notes: Terra Alta Vineyard is the 80-acre “home vineyard” of Marcus & Liz Bokisch, where their winery & tasting room are located, in the Clements Hills sub-AVA of Lodi. Planted in 2000, it is the first vineyard they planted in the area. The climate is Mediterranean & the soil is a volcanic clay loam. It is organically farmed & contains blocks of Garnacha, Graciano, Viognier, Syrah, Merlot & Chardonnay in addition to Albariño.
Cellar Notes: We received just over 2.5 tons of hand-picked fruit early in the morning. The grapes were destemmed & pressed immediately to tank for cold settling. The juice was then racked into neutral oak barrels for fermentation, which took 11 days. After completion of fermentation all 8 barrels were stirred, then consolidated into 4 full barrels & 2 stainless drums where the wine aged for 2 months sur lie until being racked for bottling in November, with the addition of a small amount of Chenin blanc to brighten the palate.
Tasting Notes: Aromas of citrus zest, apricot, lemon verbena & orange blossom predominate, with mellow citrusy notes, Golden Delicious apple & faint pie crust flavors (from sur lie aging) on the palate