2016 Dragon Vineyard Nebbiolo - Terragena Vineyard

Crunchy raspberry, rose petal, young strawberry. Fresh red currant, bay leaf, nectarine pit. Dried pepper and mild oregano, turned earth and lignified vines. Organic cranberry, bilberry, and pomegranate lead a procession of raw foraged fruit that feels simultaneously tart and juicy yet complex and ethereal. Rhododendron spills fresh red floral notes onto dirty undergrowth set within the natural beauty of an unspoiled coastal forest. Slight savory tones round out the extraordinarily flavorful attack made all the more amazing by the lack of modern extraction. 12.7% ABV of pure vitality and unadulterated energy. This 2016 Dragon Vineyard Nebbiolo by Terragena Vineyard is a crazy fun and highly intellectual take on one of Italy's most prestigious grapes.

Native to the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, Nebbiolo is a grape that is considered by many to be one of the world's elite varieties. Although it is the recipient of great prestige and high praise in regions like Barolo and Barbaresco, Nebbiolo rarely receives much attention when grown outside of its home turf. This bottling, crafted by Terragena Vineyard using 100% Nebbiolo sourced from Lost Coast's Dragon Vineyard in Northern Humboldt County, shows that perhaps it is time for this grape to gain some hype in California. This impressive wine is merely medium-minus in body and possesses a soft tannic bite along with elevated acidity. Its nearly glow-in-the-dark color is quite striking and further adds to an aura of mystique. This wine is both captivating and complex, and is certainly one of the most wonderfully interesting specimens we've experienced in recent memory.  Humboldt County has kept us fascinated once again.