Both of the beautiful fermentation vessels are holding some of our wine, as well as an American oak barrel and a stainless steel vat. The large tinaja is holding our 2021 white Solaris, currently being stirred on it's lees before malolactic fermentation commences. The lees are giving a rich layering to the wine making it extremely drinkable already. The young wine inside is pushing out the pine resin seal through the terracotta, creating a beautiful appearance on the pot. From the first conversation we had with Wales based David Morris, Mountain People Wine, our wine maker/collaborator this year (we are collecting amazing wine makers called David), we knew we wanted to work with him and had total trust in him and his new venture. His ethos on wine making/soil/environment and bucking the trends of chemical use and homogenised wine production, were completely in line with ours. At no point, no matter how risky, did we consider splitting our vintage with a method more "conventional", "reliable" or "established" to cover any potential losses if things didn't go according to plan, so strong was our feeling about this venture. He took on our tinajas with confidence, even though this was something he had never dealt with/used before. The rondo is split between 3 vessels and the characteristics of each will, we hope compliment each other perfectly if blended. Our palettes are dancing like no one is watching. The flavours are representative of all the love and graft throughout the vineyard year, our amazing community pickers' gentle hands, a soil buzzing with biodiversity a result of no chemical intervention, and the competence of a passionate winemaker and grape grower. So when people ask us how the wine is this year? All of this.
