Region: California - Sonoma County
Grapes: Gamay
Alcohol: 12%
Notes on the Wine
After harvesting, the clusters are left whole and undergo carbonic maceration for several days followed by foot crushing and whole cluster fermentation, allowing a balance between the vibrant fruit aromatics, depth, and structure. Aged for six months in neutral barrique, preserving its freshness, complexity, and character. Light, fresh, and utterly charming. Wild strawberry, summer herbs, savory wet earth with a crushed rock minerality throughout.
Notes on the Producer
The name Jolie-Laide translates loosely to Pretty-Ugly, a French term of endearment to describe something that is unconventionally beautiful. Based out of Sonoma County, California, Scott and Jenny Schultz work with a handful of growers to source fruit from spectacular vineyard sites, allowing them to keep a hands-off approach in the cellar. The winemaking method at Jolie-Laide is simple: grapes are left whole cluster, foot crushed, and aged in neutral oak. All ferments are done with native yeasts, and the only additions consist of a minimal dose of sulfur before bottling.
Scott began his transition into the winemaking world after a move from Chicago to run the beverage program at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon in Napa Valley. As he explains, “everyone I met was a winemaker, so on my days off I followed people around to see what they were doing." Before long, he had secured the cellar master job at Realm Winery, followed by a stint with Arnot-Roberts, and then joining Pax Mahle to work on the Pax and Wind Gap labels. Scott’s passion for winemaking inevitably led to his own project, Jolie-Laide, in 2010.
