Somos "Naranjito"

Grapes: Verdelho

Region: McLaren Vale, Australia

Vintage: 2022

Viticulture: Organic + Biodynamic

Soils: Sandy, Brown Clay with Loamy deposits

Vinification: Destemmed, fermented 180 days on skins in stainless steel

Aging: 6 months in stainless steel then 6 months in old french oak (post-press)

Fining or Filtering: None

Sulfur: Minimal added

Notes from the Importer: Naranjito, meaning “the little orange” is Somos’ beloved orange wine. Mauricio wanted to make an orange wine that tasted quite simply of oranges! Interestingly, Verdelho is one of the only varieties that retains a pithy, citrus backbone of fruit regardless of ripeness, so he let it sit on the vine a couple of weeks longer than when they’d normally pick it for white. Mauricio was waiting for the seeds to get lignified and the tannin profile to reach maturity, and thus it’s a white variety picked like a red variety in terms of phenolic ripeness. The 2022 vintage was fantastic with a beautiful concentration which led to a Naranjito that will also evolve quite beautifully in the bottle. Mauricio has again selected Verdelho from the biodynamically farmed Sentier Block of Gemtree’s vineyard in McLaren Flat. The fruit was picked quite cold and quickly destemmed at the winery. It was fermented in stainless steel without any additions and entirely on the skins for 180 days. After that period, the wine was pressed off the skins and was sent to old oak barrels for a further six months of aging. The wine was then blended to tank and bottled without fining or filtration and just a small addition of sulfur. 

Tasting Notes: Vibrant orange in color. It has tons of riper citrus fruits like oranges, mandarins and tangerines, but a wonderful complex expression with ginger spice, Nashi pear, and a palate that has freshness and intensity.