Hiyu Moon Dog Perennial 2015
Hiyu Moon Dog Perennial 2015
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Hiyu Moon Dog Perennial 2015

Hiyu Wine Farm
$260.00

Grape: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris
Vintage: 2015
Type: Red

This red wine is a co-ferment of pinot noir and pinot gris from Hiyu's original estate vineyard beside a pond, planted to heirloom suitcase clones including Martin Ray and Mount Eden selections. As a Perennial, it was held back and released as an older wine, chosen for how it changes with time rather than for early freshness.

Hiyu 'Moon Dog' Perennial 2015 is an early, rare release of significant importance, as 2015 was the inaugural harvest vintage for the estate. Moon Dog laid the foundation for the winery's signature approach to co-fermenting Pinot varieties.

Winery

Hiyu is a true mixed farm, with pigs, cows, chickens, ducks, and geese living among the vines at different times of the year and helping control the vegetation. Nate calls their vineyard management, deeply influenced by Masanobu Fukuoka, “the wild side of permaculture”. The property is divided into half-acre blocks, each planted as a field blend from a different place or moment in the grapevine's genetic history, 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 worked as a sommelier at several 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.