Idlewild Flora & Fauna White Wine 2019, Mendocino County, California

Idlewild has a relatively concise aim within a broad context: to produce wines of exceptional balance and beauty. It is a journey to pursue Italy’s Piedmont in the elevated hills of Mendocino County, and to find the sides of these varieties that are intriguing, delicious, and haunting. Grapes were whole cluster pressed, co-fermented via native yeasts, left on all the lees and solids, aged in neutral oak, and underwent native secondary fermentation. Complexity and texture are gained from allowing secondary fermentation and aging on lees in neutral oak for four months, while the structure and acidity from picking plenty early allow for great vibrancy and energy through the wine. For 2019, the blend compromises of roughly 56% Arneis, 42% Muscat Canelli (a.k.a Muscat Blanc, Moscato Bianco), and 2% Cortese. All three varietals predominantely come from the steep hillsides of Lost Hills Ranch in Mendocino’s Yorkville Highlands AVA, where the vines work hard to dig into the fractured sandstone and schist based soils. The explosive aromatics of Muscat Canelli fill the cellar, but upon tasting the juice, the balance of the early take of Arneis shows the structural bones. The wine is highlighted by honey, wildflowers, wet stones, salty air, jasmine, and orange blos-soms. The mouth feel is shaped like a diamond: lean on the front, a touch of oiliness and rich-ness through the mid, and then racy and driving through the finish.