2023 Late Harvest Muscat Ottonel - Dessert
2023 LATE HARVEST MUSCAT OTTONEL - 375ml
Tasting Notes:
Just our second dessert style Muscat Ottonel from our estate vineyard. We selected this clone as it is a little easier to cultivate in cooler climates than the other Muscat clones and produces a more delicate wine. Aromas of apricot and vanilla with notes of eucalyptus lead into flavors of ginger crème brûlée and black tea with a zesty citrus finish. Well balanced, this wine is dessert in a glass but will also compliment a variety of after dinner treats from ginger snaps to fresh fruit sorbet.
Winemaking Notes:
As it generally does not get cold enough here in the Willamette Valley to freeze grapes on the vine for ice wine, we make our Late Harvest Muscat Ottonel the modern way by sending the juice to a commercial freezer immediately after pressing. After freezing the juice, we bring the drums back and let them slowly thaw in the winery, draining off the nectar frequently. In 2023, this thawing took 4 days until we had juice concentrated about 50% and drums partially full of leftover frozen water. Fermentation was stopped by the use of the crossflow filter and the wine was bottled in June 2024.
Harvest Notes:
2023 started off quiet with a cool spring pushing budbreak out to early May, then a few days of 90°F plus weather and the vines were popping. 10 days later there was almost an inch on growth on the vines and we hit mid bloom in early June. That’s fast moving for our vines. A warm summer had us looking at an early harvest but some cooling and light rains in September slowed down ripening and, after a quick and slightly frenetic start, harvest stretched out until mid-October. The cool weather also helped maintain acid levels in the fruit and the wines are lively and well balanced with good aromatics and good aging potential.
Our estate vineyard, Dunn Forest, is LIVE certified sustainable and Salmon Safe. The vineyard is hand cultivated allowing us to respond to individual vine needs.
A printout of this and the technical data is available under the 'Wine Information' tab above, 'Download Wine Notes'.
