2022 Blue Mountain Vineyard Roussanne

We picked much later than normal in 2022. Harvest for Rhone whites was the first week of October, almost 4 weeks later than a normal year! The later picking date appears to have given the white wines a more savory tone yet still maintain freshness and acidity. 2022 will likely be one of the best years we’ll see for white wines in the Walla Walla Valley. As always, we adapt to what mother nature provides us, and as such, we’ve got more Rhone white releases coming later in the year.

The fruit was handpicked in early October, sorted by hand, and after crushing was left on skins for 24 hours or so. A long, cool primary fermentation of approximately 60 days was employed to maintain freshness, aromatics, and a fruit-forward style. The wine underwent full secondary fermentation, resulting in a bit more weight in the palate. Fermented and aged in neutral French oak, the wine was aged on lees, which were stirred once a week through primary and secondary fermentation, and without racking.