2023 Saint Astray, Dolcetto, Mokelumne River, Kolber Vineyard

Pray to be saved by Saint Astray.

On its own, this Dolcetto from the renowned Kolber Vineyard would be divine. But what if we told you there was something even more precious about it? What if we told you that this wine is FAMOUS?

That's right: famous. As in we foot-stomped these grapes LIVE ON TV. Last September, our friends from NBC Los Angeles's California Live hit us up and asked if they could come up for harvest to film us do our thing. Our response: "fuck yeah!" To which they replied, "Don't use that language on air."

But that was the least of our problems. We had to find some cool shit to foot-stomp first. While the TV people might have been thinking of the old I Love Lucy foot-stomping bit, our minds were drifting astray. Given the growing season and time of year, our local options were limited. But Bertus, our beloved winemaker, cooked up the exhausting idea to pick and haul Dolcetto grapes two hours from Lodi to Calistoga in time for the morning segment.

So, just past midnight on September 28, 2023, we journeyed to the Mokelumne River AVA of Lodi to pick some clone #4 Dolcetto. Home to dry-farmed vines, alluvial fan sand, a Mediterranean climate, and a delta breeze, Kolber Vineyard is a perfect spot for Italian varieties to develop their signature flavor and acidity. Hailing from the Piedmont region of Italy, Dolcetto is an early-ripening grape known for its mouthwateringly juicy fruit flavors and spice. After a quick pick and some vineyard selfies, Bertus and crew hit the road westward with a half-ton of delicious Dolcetto.

[Spongebob: Two Hours Later] and we rolled into Calistoga with a pick-up truck full of Dolcetto to foot-stomp with Jobeth Devera. After a quick setup and another reminder not to swear, we're LIVE ON TV, mashing up Dolcetto grapes in front of our gas pumps as passing cars honk and applaud. We tell Jobeth the rich history of Tank Garage Winery and how we're one of the only places left in the Valley that still foot-stomps.

Foot-stomping, an old-world technique, remains one of the best ways to gently crush grapes into juice without breaking the seeds. To ease any worries, we spray our feet with alcohol before hopping in and once fermentation starts, the alcohol wipes out any germs. Maybe a bit too rustic for a land of optically-sorted Cab, but perfect for when you're trying to keep it real. And we are happy we did it with this Dolcetto.

Before long, our segment wrapped up and our five minutes of fame came to an end. We crushed it though, both literally and metaphorically. Next, Bertus and crew loaded the bin back into the truck and set forth towards our production facility. Because Bertus had strategically kept several clusters whole at the bottom of the bin, we also had some highway carbonic magic transpire en route home. Back at the crib, we let everything ferment in bin for 3 weeks before pressing out to neutral French oak barrels.

We got something special here. In the glass there is a slight lightness, but no shortage of saturation with a beautiful ruby color shimmering through the wine. Next, soak in ripe cherry and plum aromas with subtle notes of violet and cumin spice. On the palate, this medium-bodied wine is silky in texture with bursting flavors of juicy red cherries and inky blackberry accentuated by mouthwatering acidity, herbs, and softly integrated tannins. The finish is smooth and lingering with pleasant minerality and spice. It's heavenly, really.

So heavenly, we decided to actually saint this wine. Saint Astray: our patron saint of rebellion, here to tell the detractors to fuck off. Symbolized by this protective angel flipping the bird to the haters below, Saint Astray wants you to know that it's OK to deviate from the normal path. Especially if that means foot-stomping Dolcetto and swearing on live TV.

Just 40 cases made and waxed-dipped for MADE Members only.

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