Osa Major, "Gold In The Hills" Sémillon 2021, Chatom Vineyard, Calaveras, Sierra Foothills, CA

This Bordeaux white grape variety in the Golden State is complex with zesty freshness, aromas of hay and meadow, and an undergirding earthiness. A good wine to contemplate on its own, or to serve with dinner.

COUNTRY: USA

STATE: California

APPELLATION (AVA): Sierra Foothills

REGION: Calaveras County

SUBREGION: Esmeralda Valley

VINEYARD: Chatom Vineyard

VINTAGE: 2021

GRAPES: 100% Sémillon

SOIL: Decomposed granite and limestone, large chunks of quartz litter

PRACTICE: Organic, sustainable practices

VINIFICATION: 12 hours skin contact, destemmed and pressed into stainless steel casks. Spontaneous primary fermentation, part of the wine was transferred into a neutral oak barrel. It remained in these barrels with fine lees until bottling, undergoing a spontaneous malolactic fermentation in late fall. Unfined and unfiltered.

STYLE: Still

COLOR: Medium straw

BODY: Light to medium

TASTE: Dry

PRIMARY AROMAS: honeycomb, warm hay, chamomile, tarragon 

FLAVOR: zesty, earthy herbal 

FORMAT: 750 ml

ALCOHOL: 13.2%

SERVICE AND FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTION: Serve chilled. Pair with herb-roasted chicken and a slice of heavily buttered sourdough bread.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Emily Fernwood

“Osa Major Wines is a one woman enterprise - from trucking grapes to selling bottles and everything in between.  Winemaker and owner Emily Fernwood spent the years after college traveling and working harvest gigs the world over, from California and Oregon to Australia and New Zealand, until founding Osa Major Wines in 2020.

As a Bay Area native, the time felt right to return home and explore the incredible variety of geology and history that can be found in the vineyards in some of our state's unique known and lesser known wine regions, while crafting wines that explore a lighter and brighter side of California winemaking.” (osamajorwines.com)

ABOUT THE VINEYARD: Chatom Vineyard

“Chatom Vineyard is one of those places that can only be described as an "energy vortex". Decomposed granite and limestone make up a majority of the soil, and large chunks of quartz litter the ground. Nestled in a bowl shaped valley, the property has three defunct goldmines, and if you look carefully you can see some flashes of gold dust in the soil as well. Now, they produce a different kind of gold. Water in these parts has been scarce in recent years, and these vines are dry-farmed during the latter part of the season.” (osamajorwines.com)