La Garagista, Damejeanne Rouge 2020, Vermont

Damejeanne, made from Marquette in the Vergennes vineyard of Vermont, is bright, fruity and lively. 

COUNTRY: United State of America (USA)

STATE: VT

APPELLATION (AVA): Champlain Valley

REGION: Vermont

SUB-REGION: Champlain Valley, Les Carouges

VINEYARD: Vergennes Vineyard

VINTAGE: 2020

GRAPES:  Marquette

SOIL: Clay and limestone

PRACTICE: Minimal intervention, sustainable, practicing biodynamic, organic

VINIFICATION: Fermented on the skins with native yeasts and blended after a year of èlevage in the glass demijohns. Unfined and unfiltered. No added sulfites

STYLE: Still

COLOR: Ruby, deep purple center

BODY: Light to Medium (3-4)

TASTE: Dry

PRIMARY AROMAS: Fresh pine needle, spiced & dried dark berry, bay leaf, dark chocolate-covered blueberry, wet charcoal

FLAVOR: Underripe black cherry, pop of acidity, tart concord grapes

FORMAT: 750 ml

ALCOHOL: 12.5%

SERVICE AND SUGGESTION: 
Pair with powerful dishes that incorporate chili pepper, spicy carnitas chilaquiles, barbecued burnt ends, spicy beef ribs, or blueberry pie

ABOUT THE PRODUCER: 
Our wines are an expression of the season. Each vintage may herald slightly different bottlings, and even wines that we tend to make every year will show variation from vintage to vintage. This intrigues us. We work in the field and cellar as minimally as possible, as guides and companions. We believe that terroir encompasses geology, geography, microclimate, varietal, culture, and the human hand. Wine cannot make itself just like a dish of roasted carrots or an aged cow's milk cheese cannot. Our job is to accompany and support the wine throughout its life in the vineyard and our cantina.

Our fruit is handpicked and sorted, foot crushed through pigeage. We employ glass demijohns and old barrels. We hope some day to have an anfora. We rely on the native yeast found on our fruit, the result of a happy marriage of field and fermentation. We use little to no sulphite at bottling. It depends on the wine and the season. Currently in release, we have the first of the 2014 wines with more on the way.