2021 Five Forks
2021 Five Forks
With Petit Manseng in the lead, we feel the density of aroma and texture that are inherent to this grape. The aromatics flow from pear to peach to mango and are repeated as flavors in the palate, where the Sauvignon Blanc steps in with snappy green flavors, both herbs and piquant orchard fruit, and adds acid precision and a mineral finish. There is an additional layer of flavor and texture from the malo that keeps this from being a “fresh fruit bomb”, and you might find yourself in a more contemplative posture than you would have expected drinking a wine in a clear bottle and screwcap. This wine over-delivers in every vintage, but especially in 2021.
In Stock
Composition / Blend
Petit Manseng 59%, Sauvignon Blanc 38%, Malvasia Bianca 2%, Muscat 1%
Size
750mL
Wine Specs
Vintage
2021
pH
3.26
Alcohol %
12.9
Winemaker Notes
With Five Forks now on its seventh installment, we feel we have developed a well honed relationship between two very different grapes. As always, Petit Manseng desires the spotlight, wants the lead (it’s an extrovert, a little type A, and Sauvignon blanc is happy to be the right hand, though it certainly vamps when PM is not looking. This pairing of grapes has become the foundation for our blending, and they give us a template to refine our technique in the cellar and our work in the vineyards. In 2021, they are almost the entire blend, with just a touch of aromatic salt and pepper from Malvasia and Muscat. This vintage brings a bit more ripeness and concentration than 2020, and the grapes were picked with more acidity, so we allowed more of the lots to go through malolactic fermentation, resulting in a creamier wine than previous vintages. 2021 was an exciting vintage, and it shows in this Five Forks. There’s no doubt these two grapes have an affinity for each other, regardless of vintage, and we are excited to cultivate their relationship.
Vineyard Notes
The growing season in Virginia was dynamic to say the least, adding to the chaotic nature of the year as a whole. Despite an early budbreak followed by frost risk in late April and early May, Early Mountain was lucky to avoid the worst of it with only a Petit Manseng block and some lower areas of Chardonnay impacted.
The first half of the growing season was relatively dry and quite hot in June and July. Late July and early August brought a lot of moisture that was very challenging, but things dried out a bit heading into harvest. We ended up in a dance with the Atlantic, as tropical systems waltzed through every ten days for two months. Once again, we were lucky to be spared the worst of the weather, and we emerged at the end of harvest with a cellar full of high quality 2020 wines. In the spirit of every vintage being different
Food Pairing Notes
Asian fusion menus- tropical & citrus fruit complement the complex heat and rich sauces.