North America | California | Hammerling Wines | Point Break White Wine

Point Break White Wine

VARIETALS
50% Ribolla Gialla, 50% Chenin Blanc

NOTES

VINEYARD: The Ribolla Gialla comes from the Il Mio Vigneto Vineyard in the newly designated Clements Hill AVA in Lodi. The topography lends itself to cool summer breezes off the San Francisco Bay delta which provides a 30-40 degree diurnal swing. This swing allows the grapes to retain good acid levels while gracefully maturing. The soils are made up of granite and tufa. In most vineyards especially in Lodi, the rows are laid out in an east/west orientation. This is to allow the prevailing winds to pass down the rows and not cause problems for cane training. This orientation has one drawback: the fruit on the south side of the vine receives the majority of the radiation from the sun is 4 times riper than the fruit on the north side of the vine. The other disadvantage is that the fruit on the south side is subject to sun burn. With this in mind many solar observations were undertaken during the growing season to determine the proper row orientation to ensure equal solar radiation for both sides of the vines, and it was determined that a slight NE/SW row orientation would give equal energy to both sides of the vines while protecting the fruit from the hottest part of the day. This has worked out well in two ways: the grapes are less prone to sunburn and also makle good use of the prevailing wind to mitigate the use of fungicides. This was a gamble due to the fact some rows were very short, but worked out in spades. To this date no sulfur has needed to be applied to the Ribolla Gialla or Chenin Blanc blocks. To this date, no mildew or other rots have appeared in the vineyard.
The Chenin Blanc comes from the Massa Estate Vineyard in Carmel Valley. Overlooking the Cachagua region of Carmel Valley, (“Cachagua” is believed to be an Indian derivative of the French “cacher” and the Spanish “agua” – “hidden waters”), and framed by the dramatic surrounding hills, lie the beautiful vineyards of Massa Estate, formerly Heller Estate and Durney Vineyards. The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, Malbec and Petit Verdot at an altitude of 1200 – 1500 feet. The vineyards are essentially dry-farmed. The roots of the vines descend deep in the loamy, sandy soil in search of the underground “Cachagua” springs. These stressed vines produce outstanding luscious fruit, which are then skillfully crafted into the extraordinary wines. The great variation in daily temperatures at the vineyard (which are sometimes 40 degrees in a twenty four hour period) helps to produce exceptional age-worthy and full-bodied wines. The vineyards have been certified 100% organic since 1996. Neither herbicides nor pesticides are used in the production of the grapes. This certification was granted after three vintages of clean farming although organic practices have been in place since the original plantings by the Durneys in 1968. The winery itself was certified organic in 2012.

VINIFICATION: The grapes were harvested at 22 brix, settled overnight and fermented in stainless steel. The wines were aged separately for 8 months in barrel before blending.

TASTING NOTES: Meyer lemon, orange blossom, apricot. Like Patrick Swayze's Bodhi in the 1991 Kathryn Bigelow film, the 2020 Point Break White Table Wine combines a laid-back, adventurous spirit with surprising depth. Easy drinking, sunny fun with friends. The perfect start or end to an evening. Vaya con Dios.