VINTAGE
After the warmest winter in Vermont history, the vines awoke just a bit earlier than normal but managed to avoid spring frost–a welcome correction from the devastating year prior. A very wet 2023 left plenty of water in the soil for the vines to get a quick start, growing vigorously in an otherwise warm, dry spring. Perfect weather during bloom and, perhaps, the vineyard’s determination to get back to growing grapes led to an excellent fruit set. Summer brought heat and humidity and, with it, disease pressure, making timely canopy management critical. In late August began a stretch of perfect weather with almost no rainfall until the end of September, allowing us to pick at peak ripeness all month long and into October. The 2024 vintage will be remembered for its abundance of fruit and for its wines of power and richness.
VINEYARD
All of our Frontenac Noir, a 0.8-acre block on the western slope of the Upper Vineyard, was picked for this wine. The vines grow healthily and happily in the free-draining soil and we work diligently to manage and focus their vigor. The fruit ripens late with signicant dimpling and huge acid and color. We blended in a splash of Marquette from the Upper Vineyard.
WINEMAKING
Hand-picked fruit. 70% destemmed with 30% whole-cluster layered in. Fermented cool with once daily pumpovers, peaking at 75°F. Aged on ne lees in stainless. A splash of Marquette was blended in for texture and sweetness. Coarse ltered for clarity prior to bottling.
TASTING NOTES
Macerated cherries. Blueberry jam. Asphalt.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Harvest Date(s): 9/21/24, 10/2/24, 10/3/24
Composition: 92% Frontenac Noir, 8% Marquette
Alcohol: 13.7%
pH: 3.42
Titratable Acidity: 9.2 g/L
Residual Sugar: 0 g/L
Cases Produced: 116