Another new release from Odilon Ford Winery! Noctilucent Ice Wine.
In the crisp air of November 2019, under the radiant glow of a full moon, we embarked on a unique journey at Sampson Valley Vineyard. Our dedicated team, including my sister, niece and nephew, braved the chilly 12ºF night (later droping to 9ºF), equipped with headlamps, to handpick the finest grapes for our special Ice Wine.
🌱 Harvested by Moonlight: The magic began as the moon rose over our vineyards, illuminating our path to select the perfect grapes, frozen naturally on the vine. This crucial step, essential for authentic Ice Wine, imbues our wine with its unique sweetness and concentrated flavors.
🔬 A Measure of Sweetness: Our initial refractometer reading showed a remarkable 46.9 brix, indicating the high sugar concentration in our grapes. After meticulous pressing throughout the night, the composite brix remained impressively over 40, a testament to the quality of our harvest.
❄️ From Grape to Ice Block: The journey from grape to wine is a marvel. After pressing, the remnants formed a stunning grape ice block - a visual representation of our dedication and the cold conditions required for Ice Wine production.
🍷 The Art of Fermentation: Our Ice Wine, Noctilucent, named after the mesmerizing, rare upper mesospheric clouds that illuminate the night sky, underwent a natural fermentation process. Using wild yeast, it matured gracefully over three years, reaching 10% alcohol while maintaining over 20 brix in residual sugar.
🌌 Inspired by Nature's Beauty: Just as noctilucent clouds are a rare and beautiful phenomenon, our Ice Wine captures this essence in a bottle. These clouds, among the coldest and rarest in our atmosphere, mirror the exclusivity and charm of our Noctilucent Ice Wine.
🥂 Taste the Elegance: We are thrilled to share the final masterpiece with you - a bottle of Noctilucent Ice Wine, embodying the purity and essence of that magical night.
Join us in celebrating this remarkable creation. Experience the taste of the moonlit night, captured in every sip of Odilon Ford's Noctilucent Ice Wine.
