'pink lemonade' Ricetti Field Blend

Tasting Notes: pink sweet tarts and blow pops. Truly, tastes like candy with 11% abv.

Varieties: Abouriou, Valdiguié, Colombard, Carignan, Zinfandel

Vineyard: Ricetti

AVA: Redwood Valley, Mendocino, CA

Farming: Organic, Dry Farmed

Harvest Date: Handpicked on 10 September 2022, 8 October 2022

Bottling Date: 23 March 2023

Alc: 11%

Cases: 260

As in 2021, the 2022 pink lemonade is a blend of all the varieties planted at Ricetti Vineyard.  The blend is composed of two separate picks.  The first of these picks is the earlier-ripening varieties at Ricetti – Abouriou and Zinfandel (which contribute tannin and color), as well as some Colombard (for acidity).  The fruit was partially crushed and left to ferment on skins for 5 days, then pressed to stainless steel to finish primary fermentation. Once sugar-dry, the wine was moved to neutral barriques to age for 6 months.

The second pick, a full month later, comprises the later-ripening varieties at Ricetti – Valdiguié, Carignan and Colombard.  The fruit from this pick was very minimally crushed, with lots of whole berries left intact for a partial carbonic fermentation.  After 6 days whole cluster, the partially fermented fruit was pressed to stainless steel.  Once primary fermentation finished, the wine was moved to neutral barriques to age for 5 months.

In late March, these two field blend components were racked out of their barriques and blended just before bottling, to create one comprehensive Ricetti field blend.

Indigenous yeast fermentation. No added sulfur, no other additions, unfined and unfiltered.

‘pink lemonade’ looks like electric pink lemonade during fermentation, and was named as such.

https://www.emmewines.com/wines/pinklemonade