2023 Amphora Amber

The vermentino grapes used for Troon’s Amphora Amber Vermentino are grown specifically for use as an orange/amber wine. We set slightly lower yields for these grapes than we do for their vermentino counterparts intended for white wines, and we also do extra leaf removal in the fruiting zone to encourage greater tannin development in the grapes prior to harvest. These tannins are much less important for white wines, but are incredibly important to the development of this amber wine, especially since this wine is destined for a significantly extended time on its skins.

The vermentino grapes for the 2023 Amphora Amber Vermentino were harvested on October 9, 2023, sixteen days after we harvested vermentino grapes for white wine production. The grapes were loaded into five amphorae: four amphorae received all destemmed grapes, while one amphora received 50% whole clusters. As with all wines at Troon, no additives, acid or sugar adjustments, enzymes, or sulfur additions were used at crush. The amphorae were placed in our cool barrel cellar, where primary fermentation occurred spontaneously with indigenous/native yeasts and bacteria. The amphorae received one literal “punch” down per day for the first three weeks of fermentation, after which time the vessels were sealed up and the wines slowly finished fermentation (and also completed spontaneous malolactic fermentation) while aging on their skins for roughly 10 months. 

Amphorae are made from terra cotta, a porous material that allows a small amount of gas exchange during fermentation and aging. This is similar to the porosity of an oak barrel, but with amphorae, no flavors are being added or altered by the vessel itself (unlike new toasted French oak barrels, for example). After this extended skin maceration period, the wine was finally pressed off in August of 2024. It then settled in a stainless steel tank before being bottled unfined and unfiltered in September 2024, with only one small addition of sulfur made before bottling.