m2 estate – block #3
This wine is from the first harvest of Tannat grown on the m2 Winery estate. There are exactly 199 vines planted directly behind the winery’s tasting room.
Tannat is a red wine grape historically grown in southwest France, in the Basque-influenced regions near the Pyrénées. It is known for its dark color, hard tannins, racy acids and high alcohol, therefore it is a great blending component for wines that need a little support.
Why did we plant Tannat at m2? Well, why not? It is an intriguing grape that can be used as a blending component or a stand-alone varietal wine, or, believe it or not, a Rosé.
The vines were planted on June 14, 2014. The grapes were harvested on August 25, 2016. The finished wine was bottled on August 18, 2017.
The wine is medium-bodied in texture with softly rounded tannins and acidity. Very pretty aromas of plums, blackberries and blueberries are evident. A hint of herbal essence accompanied with a light touch of American oak rounds out a lingering finish.
We like this wine. And are surprised by it. We didn’t know what to expect from wine crafted from the first harvest from this young vineyard but we are really looking forward to future vintages.
VINEYARD
• m2 Estate – Mokelumne River - Lodi
• Planted: June 2014 • Rootstock: 110R; Clone: FPS 01
• Soil Type: Tokay Sandy Loam
• Irrigation: Drip
HARVEST
• August 25, 2016
FERMENTATION
• Open-top bins, thrice-daily punchdowns, BDX yeast ELEVAGE
• Eleven months in used French oak barrels
• Malolactic fermentation in barrel
• Racked twice
• 14.9% ABV – pH 3.61 – TA 5.5 g/L – RS .48 g/L
65 CASES PRODUCED
