Still Single Varietal Wines
The label on each Concinnitas Farm single varietal wine is a hand-drawn star map. Each depicts the night sky, as viewed from our farm, just before sunrise on the date of the first harvest of grapes from that block. Our still wines express the singular power and uniqueness of this farm through the varieties specifically chosen for each distinct parcel of this land. The resulting wines are powerful and complex, requiring extended aging in barrel and bottle before release.
2022 Aligoté
Our site is planted to the Doré clone of Aligoté. This gold-skinned biotype, historically propagated in Burgundy (often from older massale plantings), is a naturally low-yielding selection with a smaller cluster and berry size, a higher dry extract, and a riper flavor when compared to the Vert selection. Acidity remains high, with the fruit profile favoring golden tones from yuzu citrus to warm fennel. It is planted on the northeast corner of our hillside to maximize exposure to both morning sun and coastal winds – conditions that promote greater aromatic intensity, structure, and extract than is typical of European examples.
Harvested in mid-September, the grapes are whole cluster pressed over several hours without the use of sulfur. The juice is settled overnight before it is barrel fermented with native yeasts and aged on its lees in neutral oak for 10 months, completing malolactic fermentation. It is then transferred to stainless steel barrels for an additional 12 months of lees aging. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered to retain the full expression of the vintage and site.
2022 Chenin Blanc
Our Chenin Blanc comes from a unique clone originating in the Anjou region of the Loire Valley, selected for its small clusters and low yields. Our intent is to produce a powerful, dry Chenin Blanc with high extract and long aging potential. Chenin Blanc was selected for its tendency to bud late and ripen late, typically in mid-late-October, this characteristic allows the grapes to develop flavor ripeness during the cooler part of our growing season, from mid-September into the cooling autumn days. A low-yielding Anjou clone was selected to ensure ripeness and concentration of fruit with ample dry-extract at harvest.
The fruit was whole cluster pressed for several hours with a short overnight juice settling before being taken to neutral barrels. The natural high extract of this clone and from this site negates the need for any new oak. Extended time on lees in neutral barrels gives the fullest site and vintage expression.
2022 Gamay Noir
Our premium clonal selection of Gamay Noir, originally sourced from Loir-et-Cher and planted throughout Morgon and Beaujolais, was chosen for this exposed site and Bellpine soils. It is prized for its lower yields, delicate berry fruits, site-transparency and age-worthy structure, and is therefore better suited to the high-UV, cloud-free skies of an Oregon summer. The vines are planted on our only slope with an eastern exposure and are head trained—an uncommon practice in the Willamette Valley. Head training allows us to farm a more balanced vine and canopy and temper the vigor and power Gamay often shows in Oregon.
Hand-harvested clusters were cold soaked for several days until the ambient yeasts began fermentation. A small portion of stems were included in the fermentation to promote the varieties natural spice characters. Gentle punch downs daily for light extraction and fine tannin development were employed. The natural high nutrient load of this organic fruit meant that fermentation completed in twelve days. The wine was pressed and transferred to neutral oak barrels, including press wine, for natural malolactic fermentation and extended aging. The resulting wine is light in body yet highly aromatic, expressing the vivid fruit, spice, and energy we find most compelling in Gamay.
