Exciting New Arrivals From Ruth Lewandowski!

Share

Evan Lewandowski (www.zrswines.com)

We are very happy to have some new wines from Ruth Lewandowski, made by our longtime friend and advocate for organic, low-intervention winemaking, Evan Lewandowski. Evan works with fruit from a number of vineyards across Mendocino County, one of California's northernmost winegrowing regions known for its diverse microclimates and high percentage of organically grown grapes. His wines always exhibit a freshness and purity unique to California but unsurprising given the history of the vineyards and his meticulous attention to detail during the winemaking process. We only got a small quantity this time around so be sure to grab some while they're still here!

Mineral deposits at Fox Hill Vineyard

Chilion and L. Stone come from the Fox Hill Vineyard, located in greater Mendocino between  Hopland and Ukiah just up from the Russian River on an uplifted former riverbed. The soil is rocky and full of quartz and sandstone deposits, with some veins of clay running throughout. The vines have been farmed organically for the past five years but date back to the 1980s, when Lowell Stone replanted the site with some of the Italian and Portuguese varietals he had come to love. The wines showcase this distinct terroir with a sleek minerality and vibrant acid structure you don't always find in California wines.

An old vine at Gibson Ranch

Naomi comes from the historic Gibson Ranch, part of the McDowell Valley AVA. The vineyards date back to the early 1900s and consist of mostly Rhône varietals, with the Grenache Gris planted around 1910. Here the vines grow thick and gnarly like trees, basking in the warmth generated from the valley despite its slightly higher elevation. The soils are deep and well-drained gravelly loam, dry farmed with organic certification. The old vines impart a sense of power and concentration that Evan seems to coax out beautifully while retaining crisp acidity and wonderful tension. Meanwhile Elimelech comes from the legendary Cole Ranch, itself the smallest AVA in the United States. At 1400-1600ft elevation the climate is cool and well-suited for Riesling, often late-ripening and full of energy. The vineyards are composed of limestone based colluvial soils and are dry farmed. Lastly, Tatto is a blend from a number of sites, highlighting the diversity of Mendocino and the sheer variety of grapes grown there. It truly is one of the most exciting viticultural regions in the United States and these wines are great examples of why!  Jeff DiLorenzo

No Longer Available

Ruth Lewandowski 2021 Mendocino Gibson Ranch 'Naomi'

Naomi is 100% Grenache Gris from the hundred-year-old bush vines at Gibson Ranch in Mendocino, planted somewhere around 1910. The grapes are pressed as whole clusters with full malolactic conversion taking place, then spend five months on lees, racked once and bottled unfined and unfiltered. It's a dark gold, almost amber in the glass with subtle aromatics of apricot, peach, some earth and faint white flowers. There's a nice texture and firm acidity, making it a great wine for the table, with a clean mineral finish. It gets better as it opens up and is best served chilled but not too cold, where it can really showcase the complex minerality and depth coming from the old vines.

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $38.99

  • Organic
  • Low Sulfur

Ruth Lewandowski 2021 Cole Ranch Mendocino Riesling 'Elimelech'

The 'Elimelech' is 100% Riesling from Cole Ranch in  Mendocino. Cole Ranch is one of the smallest AVA's in North America, a monopole planted in the 1970's. The high elevation,  ~1500ft, keeps the temperature down, and the property gets a solid amount of rain so the vineyard is completely dry-farmed. In 2021, around 5-10% of the fruit was affected by botrytis. The whole clusters are pressed and fermented naturally, completing malolactic conversion and spending ten months on lees. This is always a treat and one of our favorite west coast Rieslings. // From the bottle: "It is big. It is aromatic. It is textural. It is dry. No seriously, it's dry"

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $38.99

  • Organic
  • Low Sulfur

Ruth Lewandowski 2021 California White 'Tatto'

Tatto is a blend of Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gruner Veltliner, Malvasia Bianca, Kerner, Trebbiano and Moscato Bianco, each vinified separately with 7-10 days of whole cluster skin maceration and no sulfur added at any point during the winemaking process. Always a favorite of the cool kids, but let us just say, this is a really lovely example of how skin contact winemaking with aromatic grape varieties can produce a textured and fascinating wine. A white from this blend might also be interesting, but the dryness of the wine, the feeling of the skins and subtle tannins in the finish all contribute to the appeal.

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $31.99

  • Organic
  • No Sulfur

Ruth Lewandowski 2020 Fox Hill Vineyard Cortese "Chilion" Zero

Chilion is a rare example of Cortese from the United States, grown in the quartz and sandstone rich soils of Fox Hill Vineyard. It sees six months of skin contact, adding incredible complexity and depth. It was pressed on the spring equinox of 2021 followed by another six months in neutral egg-shaped containers. Definitely an orange wine worth your time.

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $39.99

  • Organic
  • No Sulfur

Ruth Lewandowski 2020 Mendocino Fox Hill Vineyard "L.Stone" Sangiovese

A tribute to Lowell Stone, who planted a number of Italian varieties at Fox Hill Vineyard in the '80s, this 100% Sangiovese is macerated in whole clusters with 25% of the fruit seeing an extended maceration of five months. It spends ten months in tank and another year in neutral puncheons. No sulfur is used at any point in the process. It's a deep ruby/garnet in the glass with dusty aromas of dark cherries and old leather. There's an uplifting herbal note and gripping acidity that demand your attention, with firm tannins that make it a good candidate for pairing with roasted meats or heartier fare.

  • Out of Stock
  • red
  • 0 in stock
  • $46.99

  • Organic
  • No Sulfur