2024 Vespidae WV Pinot

Energetic acid and spice washes one up on the doorstep of complete

A Story: Vespidae (ves-puh-day): Latin name of the family of wasp trying to kill me.

The Cliff Notes: The wine wears a robe of translucent red violet with a nose that gives up bread, yeast, graham-meet-cherry, cocoa and gunpowder. For some time mouth-filling cherry, watermelon, plum and passionfruit have already over-and-whelmed your palate. Round, full-mouth tannins ride a wave of fresh acidity and provide an absolutely lovely perception of movement. At long last, a cameo of tarragon bids you adieu, or perhaps, welcomes you back? it’s time for another swallow.

The Vintage: 2024 was a good growing year with bud break in the second week of April, generally dry weather and reasonably moderate temperatures with basically one five-day run at or above 100 degrees and a largely dry moderate harvest commencing in mid-September.

The Building of: Three ton, wild-yeast fermentations in wood and stainless steel, 100% barrel aged for 18 months: 9% new, 20% one year, 71% two year or older. Bottled unfined and unfiltered in April 2026.

Ageability: Get it some air in the first three years. This wine should easily climb in complexity beyond ten years.

Vineyards: This is our flagship bottling representing three great vineyards. The lead component is our structured and juicy St. Dolores Estate (16 years) at 74%, complemented by the linear acidity of old-vine Temperance Hill (44 years) at 20% and Gemini (33 years) at 6%. All our vineyards are dryland farmed.

— Jim Prosser, owner/winemaker