Shirah Albariño Orange Wine 2023

Last year’s Laird Albariño was exceptional, revealing its potential to create a remarkable “orange” wine. Typically, white grapes are pressed immediately upon harvest, and only the juice is fermented to make white wine. In contrast, “orange” wine is produced by fermenting the white grape juice along with the skins, akin to red wine production. This process extracts more flavor and texture from the grape skins, reducing acidity and enhancing complexity. The 2023 vintage Albariño arrived fully ripened but with significantly lower sugars than in 2022, resulting in a lower alcohol content that makes this orange wine a surprisingly light refreshing summer wine, packed with wild flavors extracted from the skin contact during fermentation. Full secondary (malolactic) fermentation in neutral French oak barrels allowed us to bottle this wine unfiltered, preserving all the character the grapes had to offer. The aromatics, flavors, and texture are wonderful, displaying notes of grapefruit, tropical and stone fruits, and floral nuances, all complemented by a superb mouthfeel.

Varietal: Albarino

Vineyard: Laird

Region: Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, CA

Alcohol Content: 11.8%

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TASTING NOTES:

Nose: grapefruit, passion fruit, rose water, apricot skin, fennel frond

Mouth: round but balanced with good sweetness/acidity/alcohol, great phenolic texture/salinity, floral notes, honey, apricot

Decant for: not necessary. Enjoy chilled or cellar temperature

Pair with: light fruit, seafood

Drinkability: Drink now through 2028