Hiyu Wine Farm Tzum Sean Nos 2022

Hiyu Wine Farm Tzum Sean Nos 2022

Hiyu Wine Farm
$85.00

Grape: Pink Negramoll, Listan Negro, Palomino, Mission
Vintage: 2022
Type: Red

Sean Nós is one of the winery's most distinct, avant-garde releases, an ancient mirror. Envisioned as a reflection of how wine might have looked, tasted, and felt in the ancient world, before vineyards were strictly separated by single grape varieties and uniform colors. As a co-ferment of red, white, and pink grapes together in equal parts, Hiyu describes it as a step beyond orange wine—a shape-shifting liquid that can trick your palate into tasting a delicate floral white one second, and a savory, bloody red the next. This feeling might last for an instant before the sensation shifts again as if each grape was taking a turn revealing a different aspect of the site.

Sean Nos means “in the old way” and the name can be used to refer to various ancient or traditional activities. The cuttings for this field blend come from a 100+-year-old interplanted vineyard in Tenerife. The wine can be created as a white, pink, or red wine each year. As it is equal parts red, white, and pink grapes. By mixing grapes of many colors, it allows them to arrive at a translucent strawberry pink by a winemaking pathway that would be impossible with a grape of a single color. 

This fascinating field blend of Canary Islands genetics:  Pink Negramoll, Listan Negro, Malvasia Fina, Mission, Palomino, and Babosa Negro. All grown on a single acre of black volcanic sand on the banks of the Columbia River.

The wine is translucent, slightly hazy, "peach stained with pomegranate" or deep strawberry pink. Light and highly drinkable, usually sitting right around 11.5% Highly aromatic and deeply floral—expect striking notes of violets, fresh roses, and honeysuckle, backed by undercurrents of wild strawberries, long pepper, and purple basil. Weightless yet complex. It starts with bright, barely ripe red fruits (cranberry, red currant) and unexpected minerality. Despite its pale color, it possesses a surprising, structure-giving tannic grip on the finish, layered with notes of blood orange and spicy black pepper. This is a chillable red/co-ferment that thrives with a bit of air.

Hiyu is a true mixed farm with pigs, cows, chickens, ducks and geese living among the vines during different parts of the year and helping to control the vegetation. Nate calls their vineyard management, which has been deeply influenced by Masanobu Fukuoka, “the wild side of permaculture”.

The property is divided into half-acre blocks, each planted to a field blend from a different place or moment in the genetic history of the grapevine, with up to 150 different varieties and clones in total.

The name “Hiyu” comes from Chinook Jargon, where it denotes “abundance”, “plenty” or “big party”. Nate Ready used to work as a sommelier in various fine establishments, including the lauded Thomas Keller’s French Laundry in Napa Valley. China Tresemer, the estate’s co-founder and agriculturalist, is also a talented illustrator who creates all the labels.

Manual harvest into small baskets, whole cluster macerations, foot-treading and basket press, slow fermentation with indigenous yeasts only. Aged in old neutral oak barrels of various sizes. No fining or filtration, no sulfur at bottling.