2023 Retina Albarino

Retina whites are an ongoing exploration of the rare whites of the Northwest. The 2023 Retina is from Anya Vineyard with Manita and Debenger-Brader loam soils just outside Talent, Oregon at an elevation of 1850 feet.

Tasting Notes

Albarino has a broad range of expression, from tight and mineral to floral, fruity and generous. I made two wines from this exact same fruit in 2023; one for Ratio and another for my client Le Miel. Made at a different facility, the Le Miel is citrus and mineral with great restraint while the slow uninoculated fermentation on the Ratio version at the Studio produced a fragrant, dusty, floral, and fruity Albarino with papaya, nectarine, melon, and chamomile. The palate is similarly different, entering with the fruits of the nose but the brightness of the acidity quickly changes the flavors to kumquat on the long, mineral finish.

The Art

Human retinal ganglion cells as drawn by Alexander Dogiel in 1891

The Details

Vineyard: Anya (owned by Quail Run Vineyards)
AVA: Rogue Valley
Harvested September 11th, 2023
Brix at harvest = 22.7
whole-cluster pressed
11 months in neutral French oak and stainless steel barrels
Alc. 14.0%
58 cases produced