It Begins … 

A look at the philosophy and processes behind our first cuvees

We took over the vineyard just before harvest in 2021. Given that this was our first opportunity to conduct winemaking experiments, we decided to focus solely on the Pinot Noir grape; we were curious about the varietal’s scientific reputation for possessing a comparatively high resveratrol content. Resveratrol is the secondary metabolite thought to be responsible for the purported health benefits of red wine.

 Like other phytochemicals, resveratrol is created by the plant to protect its health from environmental stressors. In theory, then, the levels of these protective compounds should increase if the grapes are strained. To put this hypothesis to a test, we attempted to trigger a botrytis outbreak in a section of the vineyard near harvest time. Called botrytization, this technique is regularly used in select old-world vineyards, though usually for white wines.

Our goal was to see if botrytis-impacted grapes and the non-impacted grapes would register a measurable difference in resveratrol levels. Data showed they did, with grapes from the botrytis section possessing around 50% higher resveratrol levels. These grapes went into our Mycologie cuvee.

 Another (unusual) experiment we conducted was to subject one ton of freshly harvested grapes to several minutes of artificial UV light, in batches, while wearing fully protective gear. No notable differences in resveratrol or other compounds were observed as a result of this process.  

 We also wanted to study the impact of partial dehydration on the grapes, curious as to whether we could make a sweet wine and a ripasso-style vintage from Pinot Noir, and if the grapes’ antioxidant profile would change during the drying process. Our guess that the measurable compounds found in fresh grapes would simply be concentrated in the partially dehydrated grapes turned out to be true. Resveratrol levels increased dramatically, even more than could be explained by the water loss, confirming that resveratrol did not degrade in the partial dehydration process. These grapes were used to make the sweet wine Les Rides, releasing in 2025.

 We then took the pressed skins from Les Rides and added them to a fresh batch of Pinot Noir to trigger a second fermentation. This technique is inspired by ripasso, the process used in Italy’s Valpolicella region to make wines such as Amarone. The ensuing cuvee, The Sage, is a robust Pinot Noir with added structure from the secondary fermentation.

 These preliminary experiments lay the foundation for future vintages and years, in which we intend to test the conventional wisdom that stressed grapes produce better wine to see if there is any difference in measurable chemical markers and sensory quality between grapes grown in optimal and sub-optimal conditions.