2020 Stella Crinita Omaggio Viognier Pet'Nat
2020 Stella Crinita Omaggio Viognier Pet'Nat
Region: Uco Valley < Mendoza < Argentina
Grape: Viognier
Vineyard/cellar Stats: Demeter Certified Biodynamic farming; high
altitude vineyard (3600 meters) on loamy, sandy, and clay soils;
fermentation in stainless steel tanks, low temp with skin contact for
1 day and then pressed for the final 23 days of fermentation;
ancestral method with no malo; bottled with 12gr of RS to finish
fermentation in bottle; un-disgorged, no added So2; zero-zero; 12.4%
ABV
Winemaker: Joanna Foster, Ernesto Catena, Alejandro Kuschnaroff
Joanna Foster and her husband Ernesto Catena (of the Argentine Catena
wine family dynasty) started to farm biodynamically in 2002 when they
planted their vineyard in the Vista Flores subregion of Tunuyán in
Argentina’s Uco Valley, where vines live in symbiosis with sheep,
horses, donkeys, cows, and chickens - at the time all of this was seen
as little more than witchcraft. But they persevered, and 15 years
later, Stella Crinita was born.
Their story is inspirational: Joanna and Ernesto became interested in
natural winemaking in the early 2010s, which ultimately became a
driving passion for the couple. All fermentation at Stella Crinita is
spontaneous, using nothing more than the native yeast that are present
at harvest. No additives or invasive procedures are used in the
vinification process, and no SO2 is added at any stage. The winery
uses only estate fruit. They do not fine or filter any of the wines.
The vineyard has been Demeter certified biodynamic since 2012 and
production remains super small. Joanna and Ernesto split their time
between Argentina, Tuscany, and San Francisco. They remain passionate
about social and environmental justice and are guided by these core
principles and values, which they describe poetically: "The winery is
symbolized as a comet on our farm and is part of the universe that we
create in our vineyard. A biodynamic plantation is an entity that
functions within itself and with absolutely no need or desire for
anything artificial, as all soil and plant treatments are based on
natural remedies. Making natural wine is the ultimate expression of
our ideology and of what we believe in, and we are proud to start a
new chapter in our wine world with all of Stella Crinita's natural
wines.
And all of this beauty radiates in the wine, from the cheerful label
to the cloudy, joyful juice itself. It smells heavenly, like white
flowers, ripe peaches, chamomile tea, with luscious stone fruit, lemon
and tropical fruit on the drisp, dry palate. A summer day in a
bottle!
SERVING NOTES: Freeze it for 30-45 minutes then open gently, over the sink, and have a glass handy to capture any runaway juice.