$30.00
Grape: Nero d'Avola, Zinfandel
From: Mendocino County, CA
Farming Practice: Organic
Tasting Notes: plum, black cherry, a hint of herbaceousness
This wine is like the mature older brother to Martha's Post Flirtation wine. It is playful, and fruit forward with but with some serious texture and tannin. Inspired by the classic Cerasuolo di Vittoria blend (60% Nero d'Avola, 40% Zinfindel), the Mendocino Benchlands is a Cerasuolo di California if you will.
Martha's goal in making wine was to bring back a culture of winemaking that has been lost, a culture of patience. For Martha, this means composting versus using synthetic fertilizer, allowing predatory insects to outcompete pests rather than spraying pesticides, and pruning the vineyards for vine longevity versus high yields. This "patient" approach crosses over to Martha's cellar as well. Martha lets the natural yeast and bacteria that is present on the grape skins start fermentation and she allows longer maceration time to provide stability rather than using any additives.
