Hollyhock Gamay 2019

Producer: Hollyhock

Varietal: Gamay Noir

Region: Santa Barbara, California

Hollyhock is the first winemaking project of Tim Fulnecky, a protégé of Andrew Jones (the winemaking at Field Recordings).  Named after his family's vacation lodge, Hollyhock focuses on vineyard and varietal specificity.  He takes a minimal intervention approach to his winemaking, allowing native yeast to inoculate and avoiding unneeded amendments.

In Tim's 2019 vintage, he sources fruit from Portico Hills Vineyard in Santa Barbara County.   Here, the grapes are certified Sustainable and farmed with additional biodynamic principles.  Each varietal grown here is planted to the specifications of the soil and slope, maximizing the microexpressions of the landscape.   Dramatic diurnal shifts keep grape acidity high while allowing for full ripening of the fruit, and midday breezes clear the vineyard of morning fog nearly every day.  It's an ideal growing site, and Tim's wine shows it.  

This non-carbonic Gamay is a light-bodied, feisty melange of candied berry fruits, resiny herbs, and touch of black pepper.   It has enough acidity to cut through the weight of dark meat poultry or roasted red meat, while partnering just as easily with roasted winter roots.