Small Batch McLaren Vale Wines
WINES
Somos: (v) [ 'so mos ]:
1. We are.
The Biodynamic Vermy
2019 Somos Biodynamically Farmed Vermentino
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Texture City
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SUB REGION: McLaren Vale
VINEYARD: Hiltop/Paxton
WINEMAKING: Fruit was hand-picked and was gently basket pressed straight into old French barriques, and it fermented wild. 10% was destemmed and left on skins, it fully fermented on skins and was pressed after 10 days. We let the wine age on gross lees for 9 months to develop mineral sur-lie aromatics. It was kept in bottle for 3 months before release.
Alc.%: 12.3
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The White
2019 Somos Cortese
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Tropical & Fresh
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SUB REGION: Basket Range
VINEYARD: Ceravolo
WINEMAKING: 60% was whole bunch pressed to stainless steel, fermented and aged sur lie to retain the fresh and vibrant varietal fruit. 40% was destemmed and taken to 3 open fermenters on skins for 90 days to create texture and complexity. The components were blended together and bottled unfined and unflitered.
Alc.%: 12.0
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The Rosé
2020 Somos Barbera Rosé
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Textural & Bright
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SUB REGION: Willunga
VINEYARD: House Block
WINEMAKING: We basket pressed this one to old french hogsheads, barrel fermented at low temperatures with plenty of stirring. It was then aged in barrel on lees, with occassionaly stirring to temper the naturally high barbera acidity and round out the palate.
Alc.%: 13.1
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The Little White
2019 Somos Blanquito
Multiregional
VINEYARD: ????
WINEMAKING: An intriguing blend of 54% Arneis, 25% Garganega, and 21% biodynamically farmed Verdelho. From vineyards across the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale. Fresh, textural, green apples and minerality, perfect for summer and seafood. Think Muscadet or Soave, easy drinking, approachable and fun.
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Alc.%: 13.3
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The Little Orange
2020 Somos Naranjito
McLaren Vale, South Australia
VINEYARD: Sentier
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WINEMAKING: An orange wine from 100% Biodynamically farmed Verdelho, from a small vineyard in McLaren Flat. Destemmed and fermented on skins, 50% was pressed to old oak after 1 month and lees stirred fortnightly to build texture, 50% was sealed on skins for 180 days. The resulting orange wine is vibrant orange in colour, unfined and unfiltered so the wine has an appealing cloudiness. Heaps of ginger spice, tangerine, orange peel, baked pears, and hints of toffee apple on the nose, with a compelling full palate, textural and soft with bright orange pith, mandarin crunch, and soft brioche and caramel notes.
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Alc.%: 12.9
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The Little Red
2019 Somos Tintito
Multiregional
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VINEYARD: ????
WINEMAKING: An intriguing blend of 39% Grenache, 27% Touriga Nacional, 24% Tinta Cao, 5% Carignan and 5% Cinsaut from multiple regions. It is a collection of small parcels with different winemaking techniques. Vin de soif, made for easy drinking with interest.
Alc.%: 13.9
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The Co-ferment
2018 Somos Carignan/Cinsaut
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Ethereal
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SUB REGION: McLaren Vale
VINEYARD: Hatwell
WINEMAKING: Single vineyard. Two rows of Carignan, Two rows of Cinsaut. Picked on the same day, 50/50 co-ferment. 50% of the Carignan is whole-bunch, and the Cinsaut was destemmed on top. Pressed early. Bottled and released early.
Alc.%: 11.3
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The Agli
2018 Somos Aglianico
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Spice & Lift
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SUB REGION: McLaren Flat
VINEYARD: Leask Sand Rd
WINEMAKING: A very late variety, this variety is picked in April, long after the rest of the wines are made. 50% whole bunch, a carbonic maceration to get a little cherry fruit lift, and pressed early at 5 baume to keep it light and bright, avoiding the varietal aggressive aglianico tannin.
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Alc.%: 13.4
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The Biodynamic Agli
2019 Somos Biodynamically Farmed Aglianico
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Complex & Floral
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SUB REGION: McLaren Vale
VINEYARD: Hiltop/Paxton
WINEMAKING: Picked in April it came in quite cold. About 25% was laid into tank as wholebunches.Sealed the tank and chilled for a cold soak and to start carbonic maceration. We let it warm naturally and wild ferment and was plunged daily by hand. We basket pressed before it finished fermentation to avoid extraction of Aglianico’s typical grip.Matured in 3rd and 4th fill oak, and it sat for 10 months before racking and bottling unfined and unfiltered.
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Alc.%: 12.8
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The Cab Franc
2019 Somos Cabernet Franc
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Leafy & Juicy
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SUB REGION: Willunga
​VINEYARD: Slate Creek
WINEMAKING: A little vineyard in Willunga, picked in two waves, one early and herbaceous, one later for generosity, blended to make one complete wine. Wild fermented, pressed early to old oak and then bottled after 9 months.
Alc.%: 13.6
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The Mexican
2018 Somos Nebbicholo
Valle de Ojos Negros, Baja California, Mexico
The Mexican Vino
​VINEYARD: Mauricio's Family Vineyard
WINEMAKING: The Nebbicholo is a co-ferment of Nebbiolo, Shiraz, and Malbec. All varieties were hand-harvested on the same day in late September. All of the Nebbiolo and Malbec were placed into the tank as whole-bunch, and all the Shiraz was destemmed on top. It wild-fermented on low temperatures for 25 days. It spent 6 months on lees, and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Alc.%: 12.9
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The Little Pet Nat
Somos Espumito!
McLaren Vale / Adelaide Hills
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​VINEYARD:
Barbera – McLaren Vale - Willunga
Cortese – Adelaide Hills – Basket Range
Chardonnay – Adelaide Hills - Macclesfield
WINEMAKING: Espumito is our take on a Pet Nat.
Cortese and Chardonnay from 2019 blended and in a couple of barriques sitting on their own lees for a year, which is the component that brings that brioche, yeasty, nutty, textural autolytic character into the wine. Then we took some of our 2020 barrel-fermented Barbera and blended it with the Cortese and Chardonnay. We froze juice from our Barbera rosé and added once the blend was made and there was still ferment activity happening. Then it went to bottle and voilá! Espumito was born. No added SO2 and vegan friendly.
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WE ARE
Minimal intervention. Single vineyard. Small ferments. Big interest.
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Somos means "we are" in Spanish. These are the wines we love to drink, and in essence they are what we are about. Youthful, juicy, vibrant and textural. Wines made by Ben Caldwell and Mauricio Ruiz Cantú.
