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
The Louise Swenson comes from two contiguous blocks planted in the Upper Vineyard in 2004 and trained to high-wire. The Lower Vineyard provides the Prairie Star and La Crescent, making this wine nearly a 50/50 blend of the two soil types.
Winemaking
Louise Swenson and Prairie Star were pressed whole cluster and cofermented, followed by regular bâttonage to build texture. La Crescent was destemmed and held on skins for 24 hours prior to pressing and arrested before the end of fermentation. This wine was later blended into the Louise and Prairie Star for juiciness and a oral lift. 100% stainless.
TASTING NOTES
Cut grass. Makrut lime. Minerality.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Harvest Date(s): 9/12/24, 9/23/24, 9/24/24
Composition: 48% Louise Swenson, 29% La Crescent, 23% Prairie Star
Alcohol: 11.6%
pH: 3.17
Titratable Acidity: 9.2 g/L
Residual Sugar: 5.1 g/L
Cases Produced: 56