2019 Racina Twice Pressed

Although 2019 was a rainy and cool year reduced crop yields for whites enabled some very good quality fruit. Grapes like Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer fared well. Rains lessened later in the season. It was a season where all varieties stayed on the vine longer than usual to balance PH, Acidity, and Brix. In the fall there was an unusual early frost that hit the later maturing grapes increasing sugar levels. Good or fair would be an accurate assessment with some interesting characters for the fruit.

Back by popular demand, the second ever Racina Twice Pressed is here! Like the previous vintage, it features Corvina (which Pillitteri has the only commercial plantings of in Canada) and is made in the “Ripasso” style, but this time its Merlot dominant. Merlot from the 2019 vintage was repassed over Merlot appassimento skins and then blended with Corvina and Cabernet Franc that both went through the full appassimento process. This gives the wine a pronounced nose of black cherry, black plum, fig, licorice, mint, leather, vanilla, and clove. These flavours repeat on the palate, with an emphasis on dried fruit flavours thanks to the influence of the appassimento process. Expect a full-bodied wine, packed with length and weight, but that is also extremely smooth and well balanced despite having a higher alcohol content. A wine suited to mellow over time and an experiment that continues to pass the test.

Technical Information:

Appellation: VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake

Blend: 51% Merlot, 37% Corvina Appassimento, 12% Cabernet Franc Appassimento

Alcohol: 14.9% ABV

Oak: 100% French Oak, aged for 24 months

Residual Sugar: 2.8 g/L