Stolpman 2023 "Love You Bunches" Orange Wine "Skin Contact White"

Unfiltered, Carbonically Fermented Orange
Over the past decade, we’ve fallen deeply in love with whole-grape, low-extraction carbonic fermentation as a way of delivering delicious, fresh expressions of our intense Santa Barbara County red grapes.  In 2020, we decided to experiment with the technique on white grapes to make an orange wine.
Pressing the whole grapes after only 7 days allows the native fermentation to finish as liquid only, removed from the skins.  This delicate extraction ensures a clean, balanced “fresh” orange wine.  We then capture this fresh profile by bottling early, in mid-January.
In our fourth edition of Love You Bunches Orange, we’ve further refined our varietal blend to deliver the most delicious Orange yet.  Pinot Gris for depth, richness, and color; co-fermented with just a touch of tropical Orange Muscat.  Tocai Fruilano delivers more texture and brightness.  Gewurztraminer adds further color and more exotic tropical notes.   
The pun “Love You Bunches” refers to our extra “loving” treatment of grape bunches during harvest when the clusters are destined for carbonic fermentation.  Clusters must be kept intact, un-crushed, for fermentation to begin within each grape.  Of course, the simple, whimsical label is the perfect fit for these fun, happy wines.  The lettering shows off the singularly unique penmanship of vineyard manager and El Padrino, The Grape Whisperer, and our favorite human on earth, Ruben Solorzano.

Healthy late season rains pushed back bud-break and the growing season by 3-4 weeks.  We escaped the summer without any extreme heat events that would have accelerated ripening.  2023 turned out to be the latest harvest since 2011, and the slow, even sugar accumulation and phenolic ripening delivered a great vintage.
Ruby Red Grapefruit crunch riding with tropical vibes.  The lively hit of citrus pops immediately in the mouth followed by riper, thicker textures and flavors.  A more savory, adult version of Squirt Soda.  Golden pineapple delivers another crunchy element with a thin layer of yummy, shaved coconut.  Just a hint of wood and stone compliment the upfront fruit.