Lioco Rosé Ojo de Perdiz 2024

"AROMA
orange blossom, white peach, rock dust
FLAVOR
ruby grapefruit, rosemary, mineral
FOOD PAIRINGS
anchovy toast, fritto misto, chicken wings
VINIFICATION
1.04 tons of Pinot Noir (72%) and .39 tons (18%) of Chardonnay
hand-harvested on Sept 9th. The Pinot Noir was gently crushed,
the Chardonnay sent direct-to-press. Co-fermented on wild yeasts
in a concrete egg, completing a slow malolactic fermentation.
Wine dropped clear and was bottled unfined/unfiltered.
SITE
"At less than 1/4 sq mile, the Cole Ranch AVA is the smallest
appellation in the United States. The AVA is located between the
Russian River and Anderson Valley at elevations from 1400-1600'.
Enclosed by hills, it is unique for its terrarium-like setting and cool
climate relative to Ukiah. This 55-acre vineyard was planted in 1971
by John Cole. It is now owned by Mike Lucia & Jill Shadek, who are
practicing organic farming.
NOTES
In 2022, we found a permanent home for Ojo in America's Smallest
AVA, The Cole Ranch. During our first visit to the vineyard we were
delighted to learn there was some Pinot and Chardonnay, and that
the vineyard's new owners (Mike and Jill Lucia) would make some
available to LIOCO. The first vintage from this ranch confirmed what
we suspected—that this organically farmed vineyard in the hills
between the Russian River and the Anderson Valley would be a
perfect terroir for making serious Rosè. In 2024, we took it one
step further and in homage to one of our favorite Rosè wines
from France—Clos Cibonne—put all the penny colored juice into
a concrete egg. The results speak for themselves. This 2024 Ojo is
a mineral bomb packed with energy and verve. The nervy spine of
acidity comes from that Chardonnay component which came off at
a razor sharp 19 degrees brix. The wine has a myriad food pairing
possibilities and you can be sure it will continue to be a GO-TO
selection at every LIOCO winemaker dinner." - WINERY NOTES