100% Petit Manseng | 13.4% ABV | Loudoun County, VA Appellation

Wine Notes

The Fieldwork is meant to be a fresh wine with some aromatics and texture. Different from previous vintages, 2023 Fieldwork is 100% Petit Manseng.  

After a very dry stretch of weather in August and accentuated by 100 degree days in early September, the Petit Manseng rapidly ripened and was harvested on September 7th, 2023. Despite clocking in over 24 brix the acidity remained a ripping 2.85 pH, showcasing the beautiful oddity that is Petit Manseng here in the mid-Atlantic.  Because of the high potential for alcohol and the wine undergoing a native fermentation, we decide a few days of skin contact would promote a healthier fermentation.  The juice was then pressed in two rounds directly to tank and fermented on the gross lees. No sulfites or yeasts were employed at any point.

The Petit Manseng then began a long and SLOW fermentation (our longest fermentation of 2023).  Mid-way through the tank fermentation, one barrel of a separate lot Petit Manseng which was macerated for 11 days on the skins was added to the Petit Manseng in tank to continue to promote a healthy fermentation and give a slightly increased textural component to the final wine.

The wine was filtered and bottled at the end of August 2024.  No additions were added at any point of the process to the wine.

With it's acidic backbone and relatively elevated alcohol, this structured vintage of Fieldwork should age quite well.  Drink now, but consider cellaring a few through 2035.