2019 Lo-Fi Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay Orange

Region: Santa Barbara County < CA

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay 

Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Certified organic farming; gravelly, fine sandy loam soils; destemmed. Skin fermented for 2 weeks then pressed to stainless steel (60%) + neutral French oak 228L barrique (4+ years old) for 7 months; bottled unfined/unfiltered with no added So2; 220 cases made; 12.5% ABV

Winemaker: Mike Roth

Lo-fi is a funky small label from our friends Mike Roth (formerly Martian Ranch Vineyards winemaker) and his college friend Craig Winchester in SB county.  Their focus is on freshness, delicacy, lower alcohol levels, and the honesty of vintage variation. Mike says, “Lo-Fi is less about what it is and more about what it is not. It is not over manipulated. It is not over extracted. It is not over ripe and it is not over-priced. Less is more.” Love these guys!  You would too, so if you're ever driving down the 101, pull over in the cutest little foodie town of Los Alamos and visit them in their tasting room right on the main strip.  

We love so many of Mike and Craig's wines, but their skin-contact Sauv Blanc is always a favorite.  This vintage they added Chardonnay (40%) for texture and body, and somehow it makes it taste more grown-up and serious, less funky and obviously orange.  The skin contact comes across in the texture, which is soft and fuzzy, with sophisticated notes of Chamomile, peach, herbs (thyme, rosemary).  This one holds up, open in the fridge for days - we tasted it on day 3, and it felt more alive then ever, with wild grapefruit notes popping up.  This baby was another discovery from our recent SB road trip, and upon returning, we immediately had the guys ship us every available bottle directly from the winery (which turned out to be just 12 bottles!)