2024 LOLA Artisanal Series Rutherford Vermentino

The LOLA Vermentino grapes are planted on the valley floor in very rocky, well drained soil, just north of Rutherford in the Napa Valley. We planted 3 acres of Vermentino here in 2021, and the 2024 vintage was the first harvested. The entire vineyard is CCOF certified organic. Since the beginning of LOLA (and since our first year producing Cortez bottarga in 2007), we've longed to grow and produce a Vermentino, so releasing this first vintage definitely feels like a dream come true! Vermentino is a very historical grape originally from Sardinia, Italy, where they've also been producing bottarga for thousands of years. It is considered an ideal, historical pairing. A match made in history! 

We've made this first vintage of our Vermentino in the same way as many of our other artisanal whites. In the winery, 80% of the grapes are whole-cluster pressed and the unsettled juice is allowed a native cool fermentation in old neutral French oak barrels. About 20% of the grapes are fermented separately with their skins, which lends more phenolic complexities and layers to the finished blend. On both lots, the lees are then stirred throughout its six-month élévage in barrel when the wine is racked once and then bottled unfined and unfiltered. The finished wine is dry, fresh, and crisp with a subtle crushed rock minerality on the palate that is complemented by aromas of apple, citrus, nectarine and almonds along with an ever so slight, salty 'fresh air of the sea' aromatic complexity. A classic Vermentino trait!