Inaugural Release of 1NGREDIENT
1NGREDIENT wine represents an evolution that combines our past 25+ years of winegrowing and winemaking knowledge with our passion for the Biodynamic farming principles that we have embraced and implemented over the past 18 years at our Purisima Mountain Vineyard. As its name implies, 1NGREDIENT is wine made from one ingredient, Biodynamically certified wine grapes. Because there are no additives or preservatives utilized, this is our first wine which can be classified as a “natural” wine in most circles.
In addition to only using the one ingredient, wine grapes, we were also very conscious of the environmental impact we made while producing this product. Besides the tractors we used to farm the blocks for 1NGREDIENT and the fuel we used to transport the grapes to the winery, these wines were crushed and bottled by hand. Except for the sorting, destemming, and the corker we used to make sure each bottle has the best possible seal, there was no other modern machinery used in making these wines.
The first releases of 1NGREDIENT, in June 2020, are both extended skin contact white wines, 2018 1NGREDIENT Viognier Ballard Canyon ($65) and 2018 1NGREDIENT Sauvignon Blanc Ballard Canyon ($48). The second release of 1NGREDIENT wine in January 2021 is the 2019 1NGREDIENT Chardonnay Ballard Canyon ($75).
The grapes were fermented in Amphora made by TAVA in Northern Italy. We worked with TAVA to create these special vessels for our project focusing on the right mix of sand as well as defining the correct temperature the pots were fired at to ensure the right amount of oxygenation during fermentation and ageing.
We chose Amphora as a look to the past as we tried to utilize practices that were used ages ago when wine was made without additives and the fancy machinery that we use today. These specially designed Amphora provided a perfect neutral vessel to ferment and age this type of wine, allowing the character of the grapes, vineyard and winery to shine through in each bottle.
The wine was fermented and aged on its skins for 10 months. This technique is an unusual way to produce white wine. The skins contain anti-oxidative compounds that allowed us to bottle the wine without the use of sulphur dioxide, the main preservative used in winemaking. White wines with long skin contact not only pick up the anti-oxidative properties of the skins but also extract tannins that help bolster the structure needed for the wine to age over a long period of time. The wines do not see any fining or filtration and are bottled with a haze. The haze will help protect the wines from premature oxidation and spoilage once in bottle.
Our main goal in making wines is quality. In everything we make, we want to produce wines that taste and feel good, that have good varietal character, and represent our vineyards and winemaking. These two initial releases of 1NGREDIENT are serious, thought provoking wines of high quality. These wines are available now to purchase in our online shop, and while they are not included in our quarterly Wine Club releases, members will receive their usual Club discount on these wines.
We are very excited to share this new project with all of you. We could not be prouder of these two inaugural releases as we branch out into a new, exciting world where the potential is limitless!
Cheers,
Steve Beckmen
Winemaker