Atrea White Rhone Blend – Atrea The Choir

Saracina Atrea The Choir NV Label Front
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Saracina Atrea The Choir NV Label Front

Saracina vineyards’ Atrea The Choir white Rhône Blend – Organic

Saracina is a family-owned, California Certified Organic (“CCOF”) winery and vineyards located along the Upper Russian River in northern California’s wine country. The 600-acre farm, located outside the small town of Hopland, is home to 250 acres of organically farmed vineyards, 100-year-old olive orchards, vegetable gardens, and beehives in harmony with all manner of bird and wild animal life.

The handcrafted, limited production Saracina wines reflect a conscious sense of this beautiful place in Mendocino County. Founded by husband and wife team John Fetzer and Patty Rock in 2001, Saracina has always been defined by a strong sense of family. In 2018, Marc Taub took on stewardship of Saracina, upholding the spirit of family ownership that has defined this iconic Mendocino County winery since inception.

Although John Fetzer sold the Fetzer Vineyards brand to a large corporation in 1992, John and his siblings retained a few thousand acres in ranch land and vineyards for the Fetzer family. After dividing up the vineyards among the family members, John focused on replanting his own vineyards and on other land development projects. By 2001, this workaholic, insomniac vigneron, who lives for building projects, realized he still had a lot he wanted to do in the wine industry. He then joined forces with his wife, Patty Rock, to launch the Saracina and Atrea wine brands.

John acquired the coveted Sundial Ranch along the Upper Russian River on Highway 101 in the early 1980s. In the late 1990s, the ranch was renamed Saracina after a centuries-old farmhouse and vineyards in Tuscany where he and his wife, Patty Rock, spent their honeymoon. Visitors driving into Saracina now are captivated by the vast hillside and valley floor vineyards and the charming mix of rustic and modern structures, many of which have been constructed by John and his team using reclaimed materials from the ranch.

The Roussanne was sourced from the sustainably farmed, estate-grown Kyli’s Vineyard. The Viognier was sourced from a neighbor’s Lakeview Vineyard in the Sanel Valley. The harvest was marked by below average rainfall and an even growing season, yielding intensely concentrated fruit, particularly notable in, and favorable to, these Rhone Valley varietals. We picked the Viognier on September 27th, with the Roussanne following just four days later on October 1st.

The grapes were whole-cluster pressed. The settled juice was barrel fermented with 50% in small stainless barrels and 50% in neutral French oak. The wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation and remained sur lie for three months with bi-monthly batonnage.

Medium-deep gold in color, this shows sun-ripened stone fruit and wildly fragrant honeysuckle aromatics. The palate echoes those notes with a clean, refreshing texture and a fleshy exuberance. Enjoy this wine in the warmth of the sun on a lovely late spring or summer afternoon. It pairs beautifully with fresh fruit of the season, ripe soft cheeses, or simple grilled fish or chicken.

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