Idlewild Red "The Bird Flora & Fauna", Mendocino - 2020

Name: Idlewild Red "The Bird Flora & Fauna", Mendocino
Brand: Idlewild
SKU: 34360
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Item # 34360 750mL

Aromatic and fresh blend of Dolchetto, Nebbiolo, and Barbera. Great layers of strawberry, cherry, cranberry, blueberry, anise, tar, and cedar. Great structure and acidity make this wine versatile with food, such as tomato sauce pasta or grilled meats.

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Color

Red

Vintage

2020

Country

USA

Region

California

Sub-Region

Mendocino

Producer

Idlewild

Grape Variety

Dolcetto

Barbera

Nebbiolo

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Staff Pick Notes

I was first pointed towards the Idlewild Winery by a manager of mine here at Astor Wines. I had no knowledge that this winery, producing only Piedmontese varietals, existed. I had no knowledge that they made this Flora and Fauna blend of 53% Dolcetto, 44% Barbera, and 3% Nebbiolo. The wine is left to ferment whole-cluster with semi-carbonic maceration, which leaves the wine with ripe notes of red and black fruit. With the initial lift of fresh violet and rose aromatics, this sanguine-colored wine finishes with savory notes of iron, turned earth, and a touch of tar to complement the carbonic high tones. Like a favorite hip-hop group of mine, Run the Jewels (which this winery collaborates with), this wine shows its balance of savory-bass notes and high-toned freshnesssssss.

- MHG

Glossary

California

California makes more wine than any other state in the United States. Not only does the state grow a variety of noble grape varieties like Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, there are also plantings of lesser-known varieties such as Nebbiolo, Roussanne and Mourvèdre to name just a few.

Flor

Flor is a protective layer of naturally occurring yeast that grows, under certain circumstances, in the barrels after fortification. Its presence (or absence) is what determines the style of a given Sherry. When it does grow, it protects the wine from oxidation while feasting on the available glycerin - the resultant Sherries are thus dry and very pale in color (called Finos or Manzanillas). Sometimes the layer forms early on, but then falls into the wine and disintegrates - these Sherries thus...

Dolcetto

A red grape variety grown in Piedmont and nearly nowhere else. Dolcetto-based wines are not sweet, as many people might surmise on hearing the name; the Piedmontese declared it "dolce" only because it is lower in acid than the wines they're used to. Dolcettos are usually meant to be enjoyed young. Some of the best ones come from the area around the town of Alba.

Barbera

Barbera is grown all over Italy, but the best examples of this red grape come from Piedmont, where it is made into all manner of wines - from easy-drinking quaffers to serious, cellar-worthy bottlings. Wherever they fall on the spectrum of stodginess, however, they are generally ruby-colored, full-bodied, and highly acidic, with remarkably low levels of tannins. The areas that are most strongly associated with Barbera (for good reason) are the Alba and Asti DOCs, which consistently produce...