making whites

In crafting our white wines, we allow the grapes' natural delicate flavors to come forward. Our mineral rich soil imparts a subtle flinty character to the wine that heavy handed manipulation would destroy. Cold fermentations and minimal oxygen exposure preserve the wine's delicate flavors.

harvest

At Medlock Ames, grapes are harvested by hand. Hand picking ensures little damage is done to the grapes and pickers are able to reject unripe fruit. Grapes are collected as quickly as possible in small 30lb tubs, and delivered to the winery by 11:00 AM. The objective is to prevent any premature fermentation or oxidation by keeping the grapes cool and intact.

basket press

Whole grape clusters are hand sorted, then transported to the basket press where the juice is separated from the skins. As its name suggests, the basket press consists of a press plate and a basket, which constrains the skins and releases the juice. Once pressed, the juice is chilled and is allowed to settle overnight in a stainless steel tank. The following day, the clarified juice is racked off its lees (or sediment), and is ready for fermentation.

fermentation barrels/tanks

After settling, the clarified juice is transferred via gravity flow into oak barrels or stainless steel tanks for fermenting. Fermenting in French oak barrels imparts rich vanilla and caramel flavors, while stainless steel fermentations produce wines that retain their crisp freshness. We blend the two styles to complement eachother.

aging

After fermentation, wines are transferred via gravity flow into different stainless tanks or oak barrels for aging. Our barrel cellar is situated below–grade, taking advantage of the earth's natural cooling system and creating an ideal environment for aging.