Hiyu Wine Farm Smockshop Band 2022 Magnums

Hiyu Wine Farm
Price:$100.00

Grape: Pinot Gris
Vintage: 2022
Type: Orange

Presented in a magnum format for slow development, this skin-contact orange wine is made from pinot gris grapes. Sourced from two distinct parcels on a regenerative farm on Underwood Mountain, the vines sit at twelve-hundred feet elevation on southern volcanic slopes. Winemaker Nate Ready macerates the fruit on its skins for four days in conical wooden vats before pressing to old barrels. It ferments spontaneously with native vineyard wild yeasts, bypassing filtration or added sulfur.

It displays a bright yellow-amber color, releasing complex aromas of yellow plum, fresh pear, and wildflower honey over an iodine background. On the palate, the full-bodied framework balances a rich, waxy texture with a sharp line of mineral acidity. Savory flavors of flinty marzipan and preserved citrus blend across a dense mouthfeel. A strong vein of mountain salinity cuts right through the center, keeping the profile fresh and focused. It finishes long, dry, and persistent.

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.