Wine List

La Concha ２０２４

Variety: Pinot noir (44%), Chardonnay (31%), Pinot gris (11%), Gewurztraminer (8%), Tannat (6%)

Alcohol: 12%

pH 3.21, TA 9.3

Production: Release is coming soon

This wine is crafted from grapes harvested in Izumisato, Chitose on October 12^th, 2024.  It underwent slow, natural fermentation for almost 1 year that finished in September, 2025.  Only organic practices took place in the vineyard, racking took place only once, and no SO2 was added during crushing and bottling, so this wine is the quintessence of “natural wine.”  The result is a pleasant, aromatic white blend that authentically represents the vineyard.  As this wine is natural, there is some sediment in the bottle.  The label was created by my daughter, and illustrates her interpretation of life in the vineyard after spending lots of time playing there.

2024 was a favorable year for offering good quality grapes.  Spring came early with cool and rainy days, summer was dry and hot, and the fall was warm.  Just before harvest, the temperatures at night dipped low helping the grapes to ripen beautifully.  We had a little bit of downy mildew and botrytis in the later part of the season, so damaged grapes had to be removed manually from the clusters.

Our biggest challenge was with animal pest management.  After the devastating 2023 vintage where migratory birds decimated the harvest, I used full canopy netting to cover the entire vineyard.  That controlled most of the migratory birds, but countless pheasants pushed under the netting and ate about 70% of our grapes.  We are still working hard and trying new things to minimize damage due to animals.

This wine goes well with sausages, pork, chicken, pizza, foods with light cream sauces, or all by itself.