Hiyu Tzum "Moon Dog" Columbia Gorge Red Wine 2019

Winemaker’s note: “In 2015 we purchased and began to farm the additional 12 acres of vines next to The May that would become Hiyu. Five of us worked together in the field and cellar that year to produce about 850 cases of the inaugural vintage. The vintage was very hot (at moments near 115 degrees during veraison) and all the wines were wildly intense. Many of the wines were part of our first release in 2017 including “Ramato” (the inspiration for the wine that would become Aura) and Arco Iris. The most extreme of all these wines was a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from an amphitheater of vines below Arco Iris and next to the pond. This wine shares inspiration with the wines of the May and was made during a period where we were working with Pinot Noir in a way closer to Barolo than Burgundy.” 

Grapes: Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris

Place: An amphitheater that captures the sun beside the pond and the cool air rising from the river. Sandy loam on basalt soil.

Making of: The grapes are hand harvested, then sealed in an open top wood vat until they consume most of their sugar. They’re then dug out and moved to the press, with an impressive quantity of whole bunches at this stage thanks to the hands-off fermentation. “The flavors that result feel more transparent and closer to the experience of being in the parcel,” says Nate.

Personality: “It feels almost like black and white film. The sour cherries, rose and truffle are there but somehow experienced as desaturated nostalgia,” says Nate. “Culture: Babette’s Feast.” (If you don’t know the film, we highly suggest tracking down a bottle of Moon Dog and savoring it while you watch.) 

from jennyandfrancois.com