NoneSuch Rhyolite White Sonoma County 2023

Country: USA

Region: Sonoma County

Type: White Wine

Grape: Assyrtiko/Falanghina/Ribolla Gialla

Winemaker Caitlin Quinn was raised in San Luis Obispo wine country, and has made wine for over a decade in California and abroad. Finding inspiration from her family, friends, and mentors in Santa Cruz and Sonoma Counties, she started NoneSuch Wines in 2017. Embracing minimalist winemaking techniques in order to express vineyard terroir fully, the grapes are hand-harvested and foot tread, fermented whole-cluster naturally with native yeasts, and aged in entirely neutral oak barrels. Quinn has also served as Assistant Winemaker at Arnot-Roberts since 2014.

Rhyolite White is a blend of 3 Mediterranean grape varieties which are rare in California, but have great potential to thrive and produce compelling wines here, especially as they are notable for producing high acidity in warm climates. Rhyolite is a type of volcanic soil found in each of the 3 vineyards here in Northern Sonoma County; it is silica-rich and often contains black obsidian, pumice, and ash-based tuff. The sites were harvested and fermented separately in stainless steel with native yeast and native malolactic bacteria. Aged in stainless steel and neutral oak barrels for 9 months, 168 cases produced,  12% ABV.

One barrel of Assyrtiko was made from the beautiful Preston Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley. This organically farmed half-acre was planted because of a love for the high-acid mineral-driven wines from Santorini. Three barrels of Falanghina were made from vines grown on a steep volcanic hillside in Dry Creek Valley. The variety, planted here in 2011, needs significant heat to ripen and yet holds on to its vibrant natural acidity. Three barrels of Ribolla Gialla were made from a tiny plot planted in 2017 in the foothills of the Chalk Hill region. The organically farmed vineyard sits in morning fog from the Russian River that runs just 2 miles away. The soils here are classic rhyolite volcanic cobble, with chunks of pumice, basalt and obsidian.