2017 Subject to Change Wine Co. Carignane

Region: Mendocino County < California
Grapes: Carignan
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic, dry-farmed 100-year-old vines; 50% whole cluster, foot trodden then pressed after 10 days to neutral oak; bottled unfined/unfiltered, with zero added SO2; 121 cases; 12% ABV
Winemaker: Alex Pomerantz + Brad Friedman

One more wine from Alex and Brad, who seek out organic vineyards from unique terroirs all over NorCal, like this old block of Carignan from a vineyard runs along Feliz Creek, north of the town of Hopland in Mendo County. They do two picks, one at 20 brix, where they get 60% of the fruit, and the rest at 22 brix. Because it’s a warm site, they had to pick at the crack of dawn, which required some sacrifice – and a sense of humor. Alex explains: “We camped out here the night before the first pick, tying up our hammocks up between the end posts of the trellises. We drank a bunch of wine, then got in our hammocks to sleep, when one of the posts gave out. I ended up stumbling around, drunk, in my underwear, trying to re-fasten the hammock to another post so I could get some sleep.”  But totally worth it, we think, as this strategic picking is key in maintaining the acid and freshness of the wine, while also getting enough of the riper, sweeter fruit. The result is a bright, balanced, light-bodied red that is dialed-down (read: not a fruit bomb) yet still shows the lovely purple fruit. Reminiscent of one of those great French village wines that we slurp by the liter, this unpretentious glass of red (or fuschia, to be exact), with a crunchy tannic structure, juicy fruit and a rustic hit of spice, is exactly what we want to drink on a Tuesday night, with tacos or lentils. Or on its own, post-dinner, with some Netflix…