2022 Amphora Mourvèdre
Ingredients: Ingredients: Estate Biodynamic Organic Grapes, minimum effective sulfites
Nutritional Information: per 5-oz. serving: 118 calories, sugar 0 grams, carbohydrates 2 grams fiber/fat/protein 0
Technical Information: 13.5% alcohol, RS 0 g/L, TSO2 10 mg/L, pH 3.73, TA 5.4 g/L
Unfined and Unfiltered - Vegan Friendly
Packaging: Bottle Weight: 467 grams, no capsule, corks origine by DIAM, tree-free labels
Press:
94 Points - The Wine Enthusiast
90 Points - Alder Yarrow in Vinography “Medium garnet in color, this wine smells of blueberries, dried flowers, and a hint of saddle leather. In the mouth, blueberry, boysenberry, and dried herb flavors mix with a hint of barnyard manure and potting soil. Notes of dried herbs and flowers linger with a little bit of dried citrus peel in the finish. Stony, powdery tannins coat the mouth. Excellent acidity. Includes 25% Grenache. Between 30% and 35% whole cluster fermentation with native yeasts and no additions in open-top fermenting bins, then transferred to a large terra-cotta amphora for 10 months of aging. Demeter-certified biodynamic. Gold Regenerative Organic Farming certified. 13.5% alcohol. 95 cases made.”
Nate Wall’s Winemaker Notes
Just in time for the 2022 harvest, Troon Vineyard acquired two “XL” amphorae - almost twice the size of the other amphorae in our cellar. We thought that mourvèdre would be a great match to the earthenware terra cotta vessels, but in 2022 we only had enough mourvèdre to fill one of the amphora and about 2/3rds of the other one. The remainder of the partial amphora was topped with grenache. Thus the 22 Amphora Mourvèdre is 75% mourvèdre (with 35% whole cluster) and 25% grenache(with 30% whole cluster).
Mourvèdre is commonly described as having brambly dark fruit, and then a distinct “sauvage” quality, meaning a heavy dose of earthiness/mushroom/forest floor, often some pleasant herbaceousness and then a sometimes gamy or meaty savoriness. Including so much grenache in this blend ramps up the fruitiness aspect, as grenache is generally very red-fruited / berry. Beyond adding in some spice, texture and herbaceousness, the whole cluster fermentation also leads to a bit of semi-carbonic maceration, which further highlights the fresh fruit from both grape varieties. Lastly, the vessels themselves - terra cotta amphorae do not add or mask any flavors while supporting a richness and texture, especially across the mid-palate, leading to a very transparent, natural expression in the wine.
In terms of harvest - the mourvèdre was harvested on October 7, 2022 and the grenache was harvested on October 17, 2022. Both were fermented separately outdoors in open-top fermenters. As with all wines at Troon, no additives, acid or sugar adjustments, enzymes, or sulfur additions were used at crush. The finished wines were pressed, settled, and then transferred into the XL amphorae for aging. After about ten months of aging in amphorae, the wine was racked to tank where a small amount of sulfur was added before bottling.
95 cases produced