{"product_id":"nero-davola-martha-stoumen-mendocino-california-natural-wine","title":"Nero d'Avola 2016","description":"\u003cp\u003eMartha Stoumen's 2016 Nero d'Avola is sourced from two Ukiah-area vineyards with a direct familial connection: Fox Hill Vineyard (30%) on Talmage Bench, planted in 1986 by viticulture pioneer Lowell Stone and widely considered the oldest Nero d'Avola planting in California, and Benson Ranch (70%), planted in 2004 using cuttings taken directly from Fox Hill vines. The Nero d'Avola at these two sites shares the same genetic lineage, separated by 18 years of vine age.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBenson Ranch is a 5-acre leased site farmed by Martha Stoumen to organic principles: no pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fungicides, with only elemental sulfur dust applied occasionally for mildew control. The vines are head-trained and dry-farmed on gravelly loam benchland soils, forcing deep root growth. Fox Hill, a 150-acre ranch with 60 acres planted to grapes, olives, and fruit trees, is farmed conventionally but without herbicides including glyphosate.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the cellar, the fruit was destemmed and fermented with native yeast in small vats, with twice-daily punchdowns until dry, typically over about two weeks. The wine was pressed and transferred to neutral barrels on lees. Only minimal sulfites were added at bottling. Total SO2 at bottling was 12 mg\/L for the comparable 2017 vintage. 516 cases were produced.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe result is a wine with bright acidity and soft, dusty tannins alongside dark wild forest fruits, cocoa, and a savory undercurrent. Nero d'Avola's ability to retain acidity in warm inland climates makes it an ideal variety for the Ukiah benchlands, where Mediterranean-style summers allow low-input farming while preserving freshness in the finished wine.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Martha Stoumen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":13415957954615,"sku":"STOUNERO16C","price":43.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/stoumen-nero-d_avola.jpg?v=1780187700","url":"https:\/\/primalwine.com\/products\/nero-davola-martha-stoumen-mendocino-california-natural-wine","provider":"Primal Wine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}