Unturned Stone Firebird Sauvignon Blanc Vecino Vineyard 2023

(Winemakers: Erin Mitchell; Randy Czech)

This opens with a light note of stone fruits, a floral lift, and a just there barrel note. This has a texture to it on the palate with a fun mix of tropical fruits, melon, palmelo and just there white flowers. While this is dry, it is not shy with its fruit notes. - D&M TASTING NOTES

PRODUCER NOTES:

OVERVIEW: “We age this wine in a pair of puncheons, unsulfured and untopped for 10 months, allowing a flor to develop, as occurs naturally for some wines in the Jura. Under these conditions the wine experiences more air absorption and microbial activity, enriching the flavor spectrum with nutty, spicy overtones. Naturally nuanced with depth and concentration, Firebird is a great gastronomical wine. (No sulfur additions; 12.5% ABV; Unfined and Unfiltered)”

VINEYARD: “The Vecino Vineyard is located near the northeast corner of Potter Valley, about 30 minutes’ drive outside of Ukiah in Mendocino County. The Sauvignon block, planted in the late 80’s, climbs a south-facing slope above the headwaters of the east fork of the Russian River. Potter Valley is known for sweltering hot days and piercing cold nights. While these extremes present challenges, they’re ideal for keeping the grapes’ natural acidity intact through the ripening season, and they also mean disease pressure is low. The soils are alluvial plain deposits derived from the Franciscan Complex bedrock of the hills that ring the valley. At Vecino, it goes from sandy loam on the hillsides to clay-rich loam in lower areas. “Conscientious” might be the best word to describe the farming at Vecino.”

ABOUT US: “Unturned Stone was founded in 2010 by Erin Mitchell and Randy Czech, two industry veterans dedicated to traditional wine growing and winemaking in Northern California. We honor Mother Nature’s intentions and the work of our farmers by only sourcing organically grown grapes from Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. All our ferments occur naturally, and we rely on taste and experience rather than lab numbers to guide our winemaking. We do no additions or subtractions in the winery other than minimal sulfur as needed and are firm believers in low intervention winemaking. We believe good wine is grown rather than made and we see ourselves simply as custodians of the process.”