Description

We are proud to release the newest addition to our family of Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant Private Label wines—our 2023 FPWM Dornfelder. We developed our house label program with the objective of offering unique proprietary varietal wines that over-deliver with regard to the price/value/quality equation. We’ve been doing this for many years to great success, working with different producers and sourcing fruit from appellations across the state. Plus, we love the opportunity to play winemaker—to determine exactly how to form the wine and make it into something we know our customers will enjoy. We only work with trusted winemakers whose wines we have supported and highly respect. Sometimes they come to us with an idea, and sometimes we reach out to them with a particular style we want to develop. We often go through several rounds of blending trials before we’re happy with the overall balance and flavor profile.

The 2023 FPWM private label bottling is 100% Dornfelder, sourced from sustainably farmed grapes grown in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA of Monterey County. Dornfelder is a red varietal prevalent in the Rheinhessen and Pfalz regions of Germany. A cross of Helfensteiner × Heroldrebe; its extended pedigree is therefore: [Pinot Noir Précoce × Schiava Grossa] × [Blauer Portugieser × Blaufränkisch]. Bred in 1956 by August Herold at the Weinsberg Research Centre in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Dornfelder is lauded as, “the most successful of the modern red German crosses, making dark, velvety wines.”

Remarkable dark magenta hue. Inviting aromas of fresh red and blue fruits mingled with floral tones. The palate is full of crunchy fruit flavors of skin-on red and black plums, blackberry and red currant, layered with a hint of violet flowers. Notably silken velvet mouthfeel with petal-like tannins through the lip-licking finish—simply scrumptious!

100 cases produced.

Excerpt from: Wine Grapes, Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding & José Vouillamoz