FERMENTATION AND AGING
Half of volume fermented with selected yeast in new 500L Hungarian oak barrels without temperature control. Other half of volume fermented in smaller, 220L medium and medium+ Hungarian oak barrels. Aged in the same barrels, with lees-stirring once a week. Blended in December 2015 and bottled in July 2016.
TECHNICAL DATA
Alcohol percentage: 12.5
total acid (g/l): 4.8
C6 sugars (g/l): 1.2
SO2 at bottling: 146 mg / 36 mg
pH: 3.4
THE VINEYARD
Lőcse Vineyard was named for the town of Lőcse (Levoca in modern-day Slovakia), at the town owned the lot some 300 years ago. Soil rich in rhyolitic tuff loess over rhyolyte bedroc, clay topsoil, plots on steep slopes, and an excellent microclimate combine to form a highly desirable ecology for wine-growing. Lőcse Vineyard occupies 30 acres and was partially planted more than 35 years ago. Planting was completed in 2005. The plot faces south-east with older rows parallel to the valley and newly planted rows running south to north.
VINTAGE AND HARVEST
2015 was very hot and dry. In the first half of the year, rainfall measured less than 80 inches. However, thanks to the good water retention characteristics of local soil, 2015 was a balanced vintage with light acids. Average amounts of sunshine contributed to a slow end-ripening period from September to October – in other words, fully phenolic ripening without botrytis. The grapes were exceedingly healthy, so wines from this year are clear and fruity in the nose balanced with a good structure in the mouth. Grapes for this wine were hand-picked in three phases, from mid- September to mid-October. Yields varied from 1 to 1.5 kg/vine.
$ 27.00 $162.00 / 6 pk
