"NATURAL WINE"
Winemaker Theo Coles wanted to make "raw" wines from small plots around the hills of North Cantebury, New Zealand. An etching of a lone ram in a field that he picked up on his travels resonated with him as an image and name for the project: "He was defiant, a little savage, had an old-world charm and was very New Zealand."
The project turned into a range of wines made from organically farmed plots, fermented spontaneously (no cultured yeast) with lengthy skin/juice contact for both red and white grape varieties, and with minimal - sometimes zero - protection from added sulfur dioxide. They aren't filtered or fined, and bottled with some of the fine lees, so you'll find some cloudiness in appearance that's intentional. These wines are tangy, and wild in flavor and texture - without going off the rails. Give them time in the glass to watch them evolve!
Sourcing from and old mixed-variety vineyard of white and red varieties makes this their version of a rose, which adds some subtle red fruits and spice. Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Gewürtztraminer are harvested together when the Riesling is ripe; the clusters are destemmed, and the juice and skins remain in contact for around six weeks before pressing into Spanish tinajas (large clay jars) for aging. No added sulfur dioxide.
Winemaker Theo Coles wanted to make "raw" wines from small plots around the hills of North Cantebury, New Zealand. An etching of a lone ram in a field that he picked up on his travels resonated with him as an image and name for the project: "He was defiant, a little savage, had an old-world charm and was very New Zealand."
The project turned into a range of wines made from organically farmed plots, fermented spontaneously (no cultured yeast) with lengthy skin/juice contact for both red and white grape varieties, and with minimal - sometimes zero - protection from added sulfur dioxide. They aren't filtered or fined, and bottled with some of the fine lees, so you'll find some cloudiness in appearance that's intentional. These wines are tangy, and wild in flavor and texture - without going off the rails. Give them time in the glass to watch them evolve!
Sourcing from and old mixed-variety vineyard of white and red varieties makes this their version of a rose, which adds some subtle red fruits and spice. Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Gewürtztraminer are harvested together when the Riesling is ripe; the clusters are destemmed, and the juice and skins remain in contact for around six weeks before pressing into Spanish tinajas (large clay jars) for aging. No added sulfur dioxide.
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