2023 lurgan spade

The grapes for this blend were all hand-harvested, whole cluster pressed, barrel fermented and aged in neutral barrels for 14 months. Lees stirring or Bâtonnage was performed during a long cool fermentation to increase mouthfeel. The Muscadelle grape is unrelated to Muscat - its parent on one side is the old Gouais Blanc and the other an unknown Bordelais Grape - contributed ripe flavors and delicious tropical notes - it is a late ripening variety grown in a cooler location at the base of Red Mountain in Yakima Valley. The Semillon contributes textural opulence and beautiful fig notes grown in the lower slopes in the Rattlesnake Hills. The Sauvignon Blanc hails from a high-elevation north-facing location in the Rattlesnake Hills of Yakima Valley.

A Lurgan Spade is a old style shovel from County Armagh in Ireland - it is also a great sarcastic insult to level against a grumpy sibling - having a face like a Lurgan Spade. It is a fitting name for a Rocks of Bawn wine - a scrappy brand with a history of toil that began in Ireland. The long hours plowing and shoveling are part and parcel of the vintner who loves the diversity of the soils and terroir here in the Pacific Northwest.