McKinley Springs Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills AVA

Hand-harvest, whole cluster fermented in amphora shaped vessel, spontaneous fermentation

Aromas of wild huckleberry patches, caramelized crème brulée, clove, and dried cherry. What awaits your palate is boysenberry pie, violets, and a silky long finish of mulberries with a kiss of wet volcanic stone. 

Our first 100% amphora whole cluster fermentation. An experiment and leap of faith into the more temperamental regions of spontaneous fermentations. The narrow opening on the top of the amphora makes it impossible to “punch down” the primary fermentation with the traditional winemaking tools we have at our disposal (a necessary step to continue a healthy fermentation). Thus, left with no other options, the winemakers must disrobe the lower regions, scrub down ‘les jambes’ and use their ‘pieds’ to stir the fermentation. This allowed the Cinsaut to slowly ferment without aggressive pump-overs and punch-downs, leaving a ton of fruit flavors and opulence in the bottle!