2022 2022 Counoise
COUNOISE IS BACK! Beyond thrilled to welcome the Claypool Vineyard in Lodi into the Raft Wines line up to bring Counoise back into our orbit.
Pronounced COON-WAHZ , Counoise, is a dark, thin skinned red grape, hailing from the Southern Rhone in France. Normally blended away as a balancing act in Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines adding a nice pepper note with bright acidity.
In California, there is very little acreage of the varietal planted. This wines is meant to be a fun summer red, served slightly chilled to go along with your charcuterie plate.
Technical
Tasting Notes
Adult fruit punch! Tastes like summer in a glass, with bright punchy red juiciness.
Details
A little last minute phone call led me to these grapes in 2022. A relatively crisp morning in Lodi on September 5 we grabbed the grapes! I got in and out as fast as possible to beat the 100+ degree day on the horizon.
Once at the winery the grapes were 100% destemmed and given twice daily pumpovers. The wine was pressed at just below 0 brix and went to oak barrels to age. As it was such a small amount, the original intention was to add it to a blend, but as it progressed through secondary fermentation in the barrel, the wine really asked to be bottled on its own. And who am I to argue with that?!
Bottled on February 26, 2023 unfined, unfiltered and utterly delcious!