Description
Winemaker Sam Bilbro calls this wine "The Bee, Flora and Fauna White" and explains how it "loosely means the collection of plants and animal life of a certain epoch" or growing season, in this case 2021. This year's version is a blend of 35% Muscat Canelli (or Moscato Bianco), 35% Friulano, 20% Arneis and 10% Cortese, sourced from Lake County, Alexander Valley in Sonoma and Potter Valley in Mendocino, thus the North Coast appellation. Muscat aromas of honey and soft floral notes take a bit of a lead on the nose but not in an overbearing way and are joined by white peach, nectarine and as Sam adds, spicy windflowers and salty air. In Sam's efforts to let the grapes express their true varietal character, he aged the wine in neutral oak with extended lees contact which is what gives the wine its texture and appropriately subtle concentration. The medium-bodied palate reveals more peach and honey with a little green papaya while the clean finish shows off that salty air and a nice cooling wet stone minerality.
