North America | Oregon | Ovum | Love O’ Love

Love O’ Love

VARIETAL
Gewürztraminer

NOTES
VINEYARD: Gerber Vineyard in the Illinois Valley, a sub-appellation of Rogue Valley. Gerber is Oregon’s southernmost vineyard and almost straddles the California border. Alluvial clay firms the silty, sandy soil that is riddled with serpentine. High in nickel and magnesium, serpentine creates a caustic environment where Gewürztraminer becomes concentrated, and usually high in tartaric acid.

VINIFICATION: Picked by hand at 3am, when the Illinois Valley temperature dropped below 40 degrees. After a six-hour journey to the winery, the fruit was whole-cluster pressed. Nothing was added to the juice – no sulfur, nutrients, enzymes or yeast. Using gravity, the juice was collected into a chilled, stainless steel tank where it settled overnight, after which it was racked into egg and barrel (acacia puncheon) with fine and heavy lees. Native fermentation took place in egg and neutral barrel (acacia puncheon).

After nine months of lees contact, the wine was racked and blended. Unfined, unfiltered, no cold stabilization or fining. Minimal SO2 in the cellar (40 ppm).