2021 Jigsaw California Albarino

11.5

Light straw in color, this unique Albarino displays vivid aromatics reminiscent of orange blossom, green melon, and fresh Key limes. The flavor profile is crisp, bright and dry with a hint of minerality that focuses the fruit. This is a very aproachable, mouth-watering white that goes well on a hot summer day or night or with salads and fresh fruit. Enjoy well-chilled.

All the fruit for this wine came from the Andrus Vineyard on Andrus Island in the Sacramento Delta. Grown on deep loam and peaty soils, the vines are vigorous and produce early ripening fruit with distinctive floral aromatics. Andrus Island is surrounded by Delta sloughs and enjoys a moderately cool summer climate due to its proximity San Francisco Bay.

Albarino grapes were harvested in the night to retain cool temperatures for delivery. At the winery they were immediately pressed in a bladder press, the juice was cold settled overnight and then racked to a stainless steel fermenter. Fermentation with VIN 13 yeast took place at a
cool 60 degrees over the next 10 days. Malolactic ferment was discouraged to retain the fruity nature and bright acidity of Albarino fruit. When the wine was dry, the new wine was racked off the yeast lees and held cold until it was filtered and bottled in early March 2022.

2021 vintage started in mid-March with bud break right on time. A long, relatively cool growing season followed that was also very dry. Some fruit was thinned late season to reduce stress on the vines that had little water availability. The resultant crop was slightly lower than normal, but quality and flavor intensity were very high. Fortunately, 2021 saw none of the wildfire pressures during harvest that had plagued the 2020 vintage, so growers were able to harvest entirely based on flavor and ripeness on 8/24/2021.