Martha Stoumen Valdiguié, Ricetti Vineyard

About the Wine

Lesser known Valdiguié has experienced a bit of an identity crisis over the years. The once popular variety is still primarily grown in south-west France (where it is known as Gros Auxerrois) and across California because of its adaptability to warmer climates. From Prohibition and up until the 1980s it was known as “Napa Gamay” due to the uncanny, and at times mistaken, resemblance to true Gamay noir (Beaujolais). Despite the correction, many of the old-vine-tending growers we work with still call it “Gamay” and our expression of Valdiguié from dry-farmed Ricetti Vineyard leans hard into its much beloved doppelgänger: fresh, floral, full of red fruits, and a little spicy. With moderate alcohol it’ll have you finish the bottle without realizing it! Valdiguié from Ricetti Vineyard, Redwood Valley, Mendocino County; planted in 1948; dry farmed (non-irrigated), certified organic vineyard; gravelly loam soils. Whole clusters (stems intact) of Valdiguié, sealed in a tank for four days (semi-carbonic maceration). After opening the tank, the grapes were foot-tread and the fermenting juice was pumped over the intact clusters. Pressed prior to dryness and aged in neutral oak barrique for 22-months before bottling. Unfined. Unfiltered. Sediment expected.

Pairing Notes

Anything that makes you feel like you’re the host of your own cooking show. Lean on leeks, fennel, and lots of salted butter for an effortlessly lush episode in the kitchen.