Our Druid’s Biodynamic Blends
Winegrowers set long-term goals. That’s the reality of agriculture. We replanted our vineyard, and three years after planting the blocks, we got our first grapes. Then you start learning, and you need to listen to what the vineyard is trying to teach you. One of our long-term goals became a reality this year. In 2023, these things all came together to allow us to create the first generation of our new Druid’s wines—Red, White, and Rosé.
These wines may have been inspired by the Rhône Valley and Provence, but their personality is all Applegate Valley. As you have come to expect from Troon Vineyard, these wines exhibit the freshness and moderate alcohol that define our wines.
With the 2023 vintage, Druid’s has become a trio, each a Biodynamic Blend of many of the same varieties. These blends will change according to each season, and you can expect the introduction of other varieties as our newly planted vineyard blocks come into production.
2023 Druid’s White
Ingredients: Estate Biodynamic Organic Grapes, minimum effective sulfites
Nutritional Information: per 5-oz. serving: 110 calories, sugar 1.8 grams, carbohydrates 2.3 grams fiber/fat/protein 0
Technical Information: 12.4% alcohol, RS 1.8 g/L, TSO2 47 mg/L, pH 3.19, TA 5. g/L
Unfined and Unfiltered - Vegan Friendly
Packaging: Bottle Weight: 467 grams, no capsule, corks origine by DIAM, tree-free labels
Winemaker Notes from Nate Wall
Troon Vineyard’s Druid’s White is a blend of many grapes native to the Southern Rhône region of France. We have marsanne, roussanne, viognier, grenache blanc, picpoul blanc, clairette blanche, bourboulenc and vermentino all planted on our property, and the blend will change to reflect each vintage. In 2023, the picpoul blanc, bourboulenc and clairette blanche were still relatively young, so we excluded them from this year’s Druid’s White and ended with a blend of 35% grenache blanc, 35% marsanne, 25% vermentino, and 5% roussanne. These varieties have been grown together and blended for centuries as they have very complementary attributes - grenache blanc bringing acidity and structure; marsanne richer and rounder stone fruit character; vermentino backbone, verve, and salinity; and roussanne pretty aromatics and minerality.
The grapes for this year’s Druid’s White were harvested over seven days, starting on September 19th and ending on September 25th. The grapes were loaded into the press whole cluster (being first foot-treaded in the case of vermentino) before being gently pressed to stainless steel tanks. The juice then settled for roughly 24 hours before being racked to neutral French oak barrels for fermentation; the vermentino portion was racked to a concrete dolium (upside down “egg”) for fermentation and aging.
As with all wines from Troon, no additives, acid or sugar adjustments, enzymes, or sulfur additions are used at crush. Primary fermentation occurs spontaneously with indigenous/native yeasts and bacteria. The barrel and concrete ferments in our cellar are cool and very slow. They typically take several months to complete their primary fermentation, finishing when the cellar starts warming up in the spring. During this time, malolactic fermentation also occurs spontaneously. Usually, one hundred percent of the malic acid is converted to lactic acid, giving the wines a richer, rounder mouthfeel, which is also enhanced by the extended time spent on their primary lees. After roughly eight months in the barrel, this wine was racked into a tank for blending and bottling, receiving a small sulfur addition before bottling.
93 Points BevX.com - The Troon Vineyard Druid's White is ultra cool as Troon Vineyards celebrates their great estate vineyard fruit and thoughtful winemaking.
92 Points Paul Gregutt - All estate-grown, biodynamic fruit here – a blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Vermentino and Roussanne. There’s an intentional wildness to this wine, a feral quality that adds depth and dimension to the wine. The apple, white peach and melon fruits are annotated with threads of citrus rind and Asian spice.
91 Points Isaac James Baker - Light yellow color. Bursting aromatic display of saline, chalk dust, oyster shell, along with green apples, white peaches, and limes, topped in some complex floral tones. The palate sports a racy frame with pleasant creaminess and a zippy, mineral infusion. A choice fruit salad (papaya, green apples, and white peaches, drizzled in lime), blended with nuances of oyster shells, chalk dust, breezy floral meadows. Hints of nutshell and honey linger on the finish. A beautiful blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Vermentino, and Roussanne.
90 Points Decanter - This fleshy bottling of Rhône varietals drives rich aromatics, but the 25% Vermentino brilliantly lifts the wine's fresh, maritime character. Sweet aromas of honey, beeswax, and gardenia transition to a fleshy palate of honeyed apricot, ripe pear flesh, and candied ginger. It is fresh and delightful.
90 Points Alder Yarrow Vinography - Palest straw in the glass with a hint of green, this wine smells of green apple, lemon pith, and a hint of star fruit. In the mouth, crisp and bright flavors of green apple and lemon mix with some lemongrass and melon. Chalky minerality and excellent acidity. A blend of 35% Grenache Blanc, 25% Marsanne, 25% Vermentino, and 5% Roussanne. Demeter-certified Biodynamic and Gold Regenerative Organic certified. 12% alcohol
2022 Druid’s White
This vintage is sold out.
Ingredients: Estate Biodynamic Organic Grapes, minimum effective sulfites
Nutritional Information: per 5-oz. serving: 116 calories, sugar 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 2 grams fiber/fat/protein 0
Technical Information: 13.1% alcohol, RS 2.1 g/L, TSO2 49 mg/L, pH 3.27, TA 5.8 g/L
Unfined and Unfiltered - Vegan Friendly
Packaging: Bottle Weight: 467 grams, no capsule, corks origine by DIAM, tree-free labels
Press:
96 Points - BevX.com - This wine is so incredibly charming and complex — you must try it.
91 Points - Catherine Fallis Master Sommelier
Excellent. 92 Points - Jeff Kralik “The exact blend is never revealed (rather cheeky of Troon), but the website lists “Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Bourboulenc and Vermentino” as possible in the blend. Golden in color with a lovely nose of tropical fruit and lemon curd with even a touch of caramel. The palate is fantastic: great fruit, intense tartness, depth of flavors, and incredible character. All that for twenty-five bucks? Sign me up every day (and twice on Sunday).
Alder Yarrow in Vinography “I can recommend the white equivalent of the red I reviewed last week, from Troon Vineyard. The Druid’s White is an unspecified blend of bright and crunchy white grape varieties with a nice balance of fruity and savory qualities and a price that’s hard to beat, especially for a biodynamic wine grown with gold-level Regenerative Organic Certified grapes.”
