RZN Clairette Blanche Nolan Ranch Vineyard 2022

A cool and moderate growing season that ran until September. A tropical storm near Baja Mexico at the start of September created a heat and humidity wave that lingered for a week. Being a Rhône varietal, Clairette Blanche weathered the heat well — minimal damage was noticeable on the fruit and yields were excellent.

Grapes were hand-harvested at night and brought to the winery in the early morning of 3rd October. The fruit was dumped into the bladder press for a three-hour press cycle. The pressed juice was pumped directly to a steel tank and settled for two days before being racked to neutral French oak barrels for fermentation. Native fermentation ran over 5–6 weeks. Around the three-week mark, barrels were consolidated and filled completely, then topped every two weeks as the wine evolved. The wine was racked clean to tank and bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal SO₂ to lock in freshness.

Grape: Clairette Blanche | Vineyard: Nolan Ranch | ABV: 12% | Vintage: 2022 | Winery: RZN