Winemaker Notes from Nate Wall

The grapes for our 2022 Roussanne were harvested on September 30, 2022 at 3.16 pH and 19.7° Brix. This high acid, lower sugar chemistry was perfect for the inaugural use of our new concrete egg. Concrete vessels allow for the expression of real purity of fruit, with no flavors being added or altered by the vessel itself (unlike new toasted French oak barrels for example). Concrete also seems to support or highlight minerality in a wine, especially with a grape like roussanne which is known for its mineral character, particularly when grown in cooler climates.

After harvest, the grapes were pressed, and the juice was allowed to settle in a stainless steel tank for 24 hours before being racked into the concrete egg. As with all wines from Troon, no additives, acid or sugar adjustments, enzymes, or sulfur additions were used at crush. Primary fermentation occurred spontaneously with indigenous/native yeasts and bacteria, and the wine had a long, cool fermentation that didn’t finish until February of 2023. The wine remained aging in the concrete egg until it was racked to a tank just before being bottled in September 2023, unfined and unfiltered, with a small amount of sulfur added.

11.5 % alcohol, 73 cases produced