Los Pilares 2011 Wine

LOS PILARES 2011 SAN DIEGO COUNTY, 50% GRENACHE 50% CARIGNANE

THE GRAPES

The local fruit for our second vintage is from the same sources as our first wine.  Our theories about using southern Mediterranean varieties in San Diego, continue to prove themselves in Coleman and Gina’s backyard vineyard experiments in Alpine and now in Los Pilares with grapes from the backcountry.

Like 2010, the 2011 growing year was quite cool for San Diego, but not quite as much as 2010.

THE HARVEST

As far as we could tell, both the Grenache and the Carignan were essentially perfect – ripe but tart, balanced and healthy.  They required very little sorting.

THE WINEMAKING

We want to keep processes and ingredients to a minimum, without being dogmatic about it.  Because of the confidence we gained in 2010 and because of the quality of the fruit, this year our minimalist winemaking approached the extreme.  The details:  100% whole berries.  No stems.  No added yeast, acids, enzymes, yeast food, tannins, or anything else.  No oak.  No no sulfur dioxide or any other additives or preservatives.  The complete list of ingredients is fresh grapes.  We did not filter or fine or even rack except to blend.

Bottled by Vesper Vineyards, Valley Center, California