En Cavale Who Goes There? Skin Ferment 2023

Country: USA

Region: California

Type: White Wine

Grape: Sauvignon Blanc/Chenin Blanc/Albarino

En Cavale Wine was started in 2017 by Wolfgang Weber and Chad Westbrook Hinds as a way to re-examine classic west coast grape varieties like sauvignon blanc and zinfandel through the prism of natural winemaking. That lineup now includes the Italo-Mediterranean stalwarts vermentino and sangiovese, as well as the occasional experimental release. 

All fruit is fermented on their skins for about three weeks. The Sauvignon Blanc component was harvested in early August 2021 and after fermentation was pressed to age in a mix of new and used acacia barrels. The Chenin Blanc and Verdelho were harvested together a few weeks later, co-fermented on their skins and then pressed off to neutral French oak barrels. After a few trials, the wine was blended, a small amount of sulfur was added (25 ppm), and then it was racked to neutral barrels to rest for a few months prior to bottling.