Scythian Wine Co. 'Revolution' Cucamonga Valley White 2023
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Press 4 White • July 2024 Direct Press Selection
Scythian Wine Co. is a new project from sommelier-turned-vigneron Raj Parr that highlights the nearly lost viticultural heritage of Los Angeles. Before prohibition, the city was the center of the California wine industry, producing highly regarded wines from varieties like Palomino, Mission, Garnacha Tintorera and Zinfandel planted on sandy soils. A few of these own-rooted, dry-farmed, vineyards endure, largely due to the stewardship of the Galleano family. With a few collaborators, Raj Parr started exploring, then rehabilitating, some of the most interesting plots of these vines in 2019. The vineyards are relics, sandwiched between warehouses, corporate headquarters, neighborhoods and highways around Los Angeles County. The vines are almost all over 100-years-old, and none of the vineyards have ever been treated with pesticides fungicides, or even sulfur or copper. From these marvels of endurance and survival, Raj makes low-intervention wines in a small cellar near Boyle Heights, working with minimal additives and neutral vessels. The Scythian Wine Company wines are a fascinating opportunity to taste a fundamentally different side of the history of California wine.
Cucamonga Revolution White is 100% Palomino from the Lopez Vineyard, planted in 1912. The soils are sandy granite, and much of the vineyard has been left unpruned for the past several years. These old vines produce very small amounts of fruit (~1kg per plant), but it is hoped that continued work (pruning, care) will restore their vigor. The vineyard is dry farmed and has never been sprayed or treated in any way. The grapes were harvested by hand, left whole cluster, and pressed to ferment without temperature control in neutral used French oak barrels. Rested and aged in the same vessels before bottling. Bottled without fining or filtering and with only 20ppm SO2 added. Ben Fletcher/José Pastor
Tasting notes: The Palominos coming from Raj Parr's Scythian wine project have been some of the most vibrant and exciting expressions I've had of the variety. This is a harmonious mixture of salty, fresh, and lush elements that is as thirst-quenching as it is interesting and engaging. Jonathan Kemp
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