Avivo Sangiovese 2019

The Avivo Sangiovese opens with notes of ripe, red apple, rhubarb jam, clove, and nutmeg. The palate is bright with flavors reminiscent of cooked pecans, fruit compote and charcuterie for depth and balance. The finish is refreshing but tempered with a velvet mouthfeel that begs for another sip.

The 2019 vintage will be remembered as one of the best of the decade. A wet winter followed by a wet spring started the year off a little late, but we needed that water! Northern California did not suffer the usual mid-July/August heat waves, frankly the summer was extremely mild compared to most. As the fruit slowly ripened and rain remained absent, we realized the crop was short and the growing season nearly perfect. A great vintage for winemakers and consumers alike!

90% of the grapes were de-stemmed only and transferred by gravity to open-top fermenters, the other 10% was left whole-cluster and added to the bottom of the tank. A long, cool 5-day cold soak was allowed before the tank was taken off cooling. The must was then fermented with indigenous yeast to promote complexity and terroir. The fermented wine was pressed off slightly before dryness to minimize harsh phenols and retain its core of fruit. Malolactic was completed with indigenous yeasts.

Aged in neutral French oak barrels for 9 months.