Hone Series

2021 Hone #4 "Tonnage"
Elk Mountain Vineyard — Upper Lake Valley
47.3% Touriga Nacional
28.8% Tinta Madiera
12.9% Souzão
11.0% Tinta Cao

The most recent Hone series is a decidedly against the grain cofermentation of four Portuguese red grapes that would typically be used to build the backbone of a traditional fortified wine. But this wine is anything but traditional. The nose is welcoming and plush, anchored by soft blueberry and apricot cushioned by soft brown vibrations:  leather, pencil shavings, baking spice and vanilla pudding. The palate shows more racy character: the fruit leans more towards cherry and ripe plum and midpalate through finish pivot around a bracing acidity. The risk of low-alcohol, high-acidity wines is that they feel narrow and "centered up" on your palate because they lack roundness and complexity. This wine is broad, with juicy and a lot of warmth—which is special for a wine like this.

More than anything, this wine is fun. And a lot of that fun character will fade with time. Nonetheless, it will age well for 5-10 years, but if I were you I'd board this party boat soon.

2022 Hone #3.3 "Hooky"
Paradise Canyon Farm
Mendocino, North Coast
12.9% Alcohol by Volume
 

When we first launched the Hone series we told you and everybody whow would listen that Hone was about experiments and new projects that we used to push ourselvesbeyond our knowledge and skill set. We also told you that Hone wines wouldn't be repeated, because we ideally just got comfotable outside our comfort zone.

What we probably should've anticipated is that we'd stumble on something exciting and want to do it again. And, then we'd want to use athe same label that everybody loved. So whoops.

That said, we haven't been static in our execution of carbonic fermentation. We're still pretty new at irt, and we're learning more about it and how to maximize itgs benefit and further its integration into our wines. So, this third bottling still represents a marked evolution in our execution. We're very much is the most "complete" version yet. It's not as distinctly carbonic-y as the first, but it ismore integrated and connected through the mid-palate.

Notes from our first vintage of Hooky:
Hooky was our first attempt at making wine similar to a French Beaujolais Nouveau, but with a Meeker twist of course! We used an Italian grape varietal, Dolcetto (which is certainly not French!) and put the grapes through a full carbonic maceration to prevent an otherwise tannic red grape from becoming a big, tannic red wine. The result is a light bodied red wine, with plenty of bright, juicy fruit and a crisp freshness on the palette. 

Note: This product is not available for purchase to South Dakota Customers.

27.5% Viognier, 18.3% Carignane, 18.3% Zinfandel, 18.3% Petite Sirah, 17.6% Grenache
Dry Creek Valley - Sonoma County
15.2% alcohol by volume

Our Hone series is devoted to honing our craft as winemakers, featuring new wines that we craft as opportunities arise to try new varietals, blends, and winemaking techniques.

Sakura is a blend of many of the varietals we make—and it has the complexity to show for it. Its nose feels like a perfect hybrid of Zinfandel and Carignane: brambles, cranberry, and a hint of spice. Sakura has rich oak and medium tannins, making it a great pre-dinner wine or pairing with white meats, pasta dishes, and Thai food. We've been bickering about it for a few days, but we settled on describing the finish as reminding us of and the caramelized crust of a fine creme brulee, without undue sweetness. This beautiful wine will age 3-5 years, but it's drinking perfectly right now. 

Christensen Family Vineyard

Russian River Valley - Sonoma County
14.9% alcohol by volume

Hooky was our first attempt at making wine similar to a French Beaujolais Nouveau, but with a Meeker twist of course! We used an Italian grape varietal, Dolcetto (which is certainly not French!) and put the grapes through a full carbonic maceration to prevent an otherwise tannic red grape from becoming a big, tannic red wine. The result is a light bodied red wine, with plenty of bright, juicy fruit and a crisp freshness on the palette. 

Best of Class, Double Gold Medal honors at the Press Democrat North Coast Wine Competition earlier this year... Hooky was our first attempt at making wine similar to a French Beaujolais Nouveau, but with a Meeker twist of course! We used an Italian grape varietal, Dolcetto (which is certainly not French!) and put the grapes through a full carbonic maceration to prevent an otherwise tannic red grape from becoming a big, tannic red wine. The result is a light bodied red wine, with plenty of bright, juicy fruit and a crisp freshness on the palette.