Hiyu Wine Farm Tzum Sean Nos 2022

Hiyu Wine Farm Tzum Sean Nos 2022

Hiyu Wine Farm
$85.00

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

This unique co-ferment combines pink negramoll, listán negro, palomino, and mission to emulate the un-separated vineyards of the ancient world. Winemaker Nate Ready sources these Canary Islands genetics from a single acre of black volcanic sand on the Columbia River banks. Hand-harvested fruit ferments spontaneously with native wild yeasts in neutral wooden vats, completely avoiding modern extraction styling. This low-intervention process achieves a translucent strawberry pink hue by co-fermenting these varieties together.

It pours a translucent, slightly hazy peach-pink color, releasing a highly aromatic nose of violets, roses, wild strawberries, and long pepper. A light-bodied frame is fluid and weightless, shifting between floral white notes and savory red nuances. A sharp beam of mountain acidity cuts through the delicate red fruits, providing immediate energy. Despite its pale color, it possesses a surprising tannic grip on the finish. It concludes bone-dry with hints of blood orange.

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.