2020 Ava
AVA IN 7 WORDS
Apricots Wildflowers Honeysuckle Persimmon Marzipan Decadent Balanced
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
2020 Ava is fuller and more immediately impactful than the last couple of vintages. It is packed with the very essence of white Rhone grapes. A regal wine with round and full structure, but with poise. A wine that will both wow in its youth and in the long term (especially after 5-8 years of bottle age). Today, Ava 2020 is at its best with a long decant or better yet tucked away for at least a couple of years of slumber time in the cellar. There is an erect spine holding this textural wine in balance. Canned peaches and nectarines are mingling with white aromatic flowers, herbal tea, and light brioche notes. The fruit was full and ripe and could handle (in fact was begging for) a modest amount of new oak at 15%. on day two, slight acacia honey drizzled notes on toasted brioche bun come to the foreground. Anticipate beautiful toasted cereal notes to come forward about half a dozen years post vintage.
PAIRINGS
Meat-Based
Herb-Crusted Quail or Chicken with Corn Bread Stuffing served with Apricot Jus or a side dish of Roasted Potatoes in Herb de Provence would go perfectly with this wine.
Plant-Based
A mild spicy noodle dish like Pad Thai or a Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry would pair marvelously.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
| Cepage | 59% Viognier, 35% Roussanne, 5% Marsanne |
|---|---|
| Region: | Black Sage Bench, North Oliver |
| Soil Type: |
Glacio Fluvial Fan; Gravel and sand at Crowley Vineyard, mostly Sand and Clay and rare pockets of Gravel in Le Grand Pin Block. |
| Age of Vines: | 12-16 years old |
| Yield: | 3.7 |
| Production: | 751 |
| Alcohol: | 14.0 |
| Aging: |
8 months in 51% French oak puncheons and barrels, 15% new oak. Balance in stainless tanks. |
