Fruit
100% Petit Manseng

Site
2021 - Grace Estate Winery - Crozet, Virginia 740’ elevation
2022 - Chiles Family Orchards - Crozet, Virginia 880’ elevation

Vinification
In 2021, fruit was harvested in late August. Upon arriving to the farm, whole clusters were foot tread and macerated in a macro bin for one week before being pressed off its skins to a neutral French oak barrel to finish its uninoculated, native primary fermentation. The wine sat undisturbed in barrel for two years with minimal topping. In 2022, fruit was harvested on the 11th of September. Whole clusters were foot tread and macerated for two weeks until dry. The wine was pressed off its skins to a neutral French oak barrel where it sat undisturbed for over a year. Both barrels were racked off their gross/fine lees in November of 2023 and blended in tank. This release is a 60/40% blend of ’22 and ’21 respectively. Bottled still with no additions of SO2 were made at any stage of this wine.

Notes
One of the great challenges of working with Petit Manseng is its combination of surreal acid and sugar levels. Picking early can assist in offering lower alcohol levels but leaves you with searing acid. Skin contact can raise the pH, offering some relief from the intense malic acid but in some years sugars spike early and even an early pick can result in higher than desired alcohol levels. 2021 was such a year and the resulting wine left us unsure of how to proceed. Patience is often a required ingredient in the cellar and over the past two years micro oxidation began to soften up our little brut barrel of Petit Manseng. In 2022 we opted to revert back to a two week maceration, offering more of a rich and structured amber with reminiscent of our 2020 release. A Little Mans Sings is a blend of both vintages with a small portion of 2021 press wine that was intentionally oxidative in an effort to find more harmony in the cuvée. Make no mistake, this is a intensely structured and honeyed amber wine that will crave an amigo found in food. It really hits its stride on day three of being opened.

22 Cases Produced, Alc. 12.9% by Volume, 750ml

Label artwork by Anna Thompson of Palindrome Creative Co.

*Available for shipments in Virginia & Washington DC OR pick-up at Oakley Farm. Ship to other states here. Shipments may be delayed based on temperatures.