North America | Oregon | Ovum | "Off the Grid" Riesling

"Off the Grid" Riesling

VARIETAL
Riesling

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.

VINIFICATION: Grapes were picked by hand at 3am, when the Illinois Valley temperature drops below 40 degrees. After a six-hour journey to the winery, the fruit was de-stemmed, crushed, then soaked on the skins for 3 hours, John House calls this the “brown out” stage. Nothing was added to the juice – no sulfur, nutrients, enzymes or yeast.

After skin contact, the lot was placed into the press along with the stems (reserved from de-stemming), then underwent a press cycle of 4-6 hours. Using gravity, the free run and press juice was collected into a chilled, stainless steel tank where it settled for 24 hours, after which it was racked into Austrian cask, cement egg, and barrel with fine and heavy lees. Native fermentation took place in egg and neutral barrel. After nine months of lees contact, the wine was racked and blended. No cold stabilization.