2023 “Virelangue” Picpoul-Bourboulenc

TASTING NOTES
Our ode to orange wine and skin contact whites, this surprisingly pale wine opens with a nose of lychee, fresh melonand a lightly floral aspect which is the hallmark of Bourboulenc. The Picpoul brings pear, citrus, and pineapple to these most complex aromas. Quite rich in the mouth, the tannin from the skin contact dance with the natural acidity to create an exceptionall long finish filled with pears, minerality, orange pith, thyme and a great salinity.

HISTORY
The Mounts Family have been farming grapes in the Dry Creek Valley since 1952. In 2004 Dave Mounts, third generation of the Mounts family to farm here, picked up the mantel of management from his father and began to plant Rhone varietals including a small block of Picpoul Blanc and Bourboulenc. Both rather obscure white grapes that are part of the thirteen grape varieties of Chateaneuf du Pape. The name ‘virelangue’ is French slang for ‘tongue-twister,’ a reference to both the difficulty we have pronouncing the varietal names as well as the wonderful tart acidity of the wine (the word Picpoul itself means ‘lip-stinger’).

WINEMAKING
Both varietals being late ripeners, they were the last white grapes to come into the cellar in an exceptionally cool vintage of 2023. They were picked on the night of October 26th and arrived to the cellar before day break. We destemmed the two varietals together and soaked them on their skins for five days before pressing to a tank. Both grapes being known for their natural acidity, we thought they would be great candidates for a short soak on skins which can help tame excessive tartness. Native fermentation had already begun at this point. We moved the fermenting juice into neutral barrels and placed them in our cold room in the cellar for a month long, slow ferment. Once complete, the barrels were topped and a small dose of sulfur was added to arrest malolactic formation. This was the only sulfur added before filtering and bottling in May of 2024.

Casey Graybehl, Winemaker