Description

PRODUCER:
Scribe Winery produces vibrant, terroir-driven wines from Sonoma, California. The winery was founded in 2007 on a property that helped pioneer pre-prohibition Sonoma Valley wine making and is managed by fourth-generation California farmers and brothers, Andrew and Adam Mariani. The Marianis believe that the best wines are the result of a healthy relationship between man and nature, and that a vineyard managed in harmony with the greater ecosystem results in more site-specific, terroir-driven grapes. When vinified with non-interventionist natural methods, the result is a distinct wine that speaks vividly of its provenance.

VINEYARD:
The Mission vines are planted in Scribe’s estate vineyard on the southwest-facing slope of Arrowhead Mountain in the Southern Mayacama volcanic mountain range. The Mission vines were planted in 2017, from plant-material propagated from cuttings from vines planted in the late 1880s in Central California. Their lineage as well as their presence at the Scribe Estate are an homage to the earliest days of California’s winegrowing history. The Mission grape was the first European grapevine cultivated in California, but has been rarely planted post-prohibition. It thrived on the estate in the 1800s, and letters from that time detailing the quality of the Mission wines from this property were recently discovered. In the spirit of curiosity and exploration, 0.8 hectares of Mission vines have been planted in front of the Hacienda to explore their potential in the new era. The vines are cultivated sustainably and are hand-harvested in the cool of the night.

WINEMAKING:
Small lots were fermented separately, with 50% whole clusters imparting complexity. Fermentation was carried out in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks with wild, native yeasts. The lots were pressed after 22 days’ vinification. The wine was then aged in 100% neutral oak barrels for eight months prior to being bottled without any fining and just gentle filtration.

VINTAGE:
A dry winter with below-average rainfall and a cool start to spring kept the vines dormant late into March. The spring months stayed dry and cool, slowing shoot growth and contributing to low yields and small berries. Once under full canopy later in the season, the fruit developed evenly with concentrated flavours, colour and texture. Harvest began on August 13th with favourable, temperate weather throughout the picking season.

TASTING NOTE:
A wonderful expression of California’s historic Mission variety, with wild notes of rosehip, rhubarb and delicate mint and bright, spicy black fruit enveloping a textured palate.

GRAPES:
Mission 100%.