Red Electric 2018 Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs--BD12 Specials

Berserker Day XII: yeah baby.

We are a bantamweight winery devoted to making wines with tension, zest, and intensity exclusively from our organically and dry farmed estate vineyard (Armstrong Vineyard) in Ribbon Ridge. Come visit us at www.redelectricwines.com

We are thrilled to offer 3 Berserker Day specials from Red Electric’s 2018 vintage, including our first ever Chardonnays.

In 2017 we grafted an acre (vines planted in 2007) to Chardonnay. Specifically, the majority of scion wood was Mt. Eden clone (low yielding, small berries, tight clusters) sourced from Cameron’s Clos Electrique vineyard. The remaining vines include Musqué clone (named for the Muscadet-like aromatics it can impart), l’Espiguette (bright, high acid), and Dijon 76 (so successful up the road at Brick House).

As far as we know, these are the first Mt. Eden clone based Chards from Ribbon Ridge!

We have 2 Chardonnays: The harvest date was chosen in an effort to capture the energy in the grapes, as our aim is to make chardonnay with focus, energy, minerality and natural acidity in a style that highlights the purity of the fruit as expressed on the Sedimentary soils of Ribbon Ridge.


First we will present our offers, then our winemaking notes and technical details.

  1. The Teaser:
    1 Alpine Lily
    2 Evening Primrose
    Berserker Day Pricing $70 (retail $91) plus $15 flat rate shipping (when weather permits) or Free Delivery in Portland Metro

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  2. The Screw the Pandemic:
    1 Alpine Lily
    1 Evening Primrose
    2 Interurban
    1 Pulse
    1 TGV
    Berserker Day Pricing $175 (retail $234) plus $25 flat rate shipping (when weather permits) or Free Delivery in Portland Metro

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  3. The Killa Pinot:
    2 Interurban
    2 Pulse
    2 TGV
    Berserker Day Pricing $205 (retail $300) plus $25 flat rate shipping (when weather permits) or Free Delivery in Portland Metro

Best way to order: email us at redelectricwines@gmail.com
Please include your shipping address and phone number. We will send you back an invoice via email (through Square–easy!!)




2018 Red Electric “Alpine Lily” Chardonnay, Armstrong Vineyard, Ribbon Ridge AVA $25.00

Upon arrival to the winery, the wines were whole cluster pressed, using a very long and gentle cycle. During the pressing we took care to exclude oxygen from extensive contact with the juice, using dry ice to keep a layer of CO2 on top of the pressed liquid. The juice was settled for 48 hours to remove the heavy solids, then racked to predominantly 3-6 year old French oak barrels, but we used one new 500 liter French oak puncheon on this cuvée. We then inoculated the juice with our “pied du cuve” (built up natural yeast) to prompt the alcoholic fermentation, which took 5 weeks to complete. The wine then remains on its lees and we allowed malo-lactic fermentation to proceed. We left the wine on its lees for 17 months, racking the wine to tank one month before bottling. This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered on June 5th, 2020; we made only 50 cases of this wine. (100% neutral french oak)

Winemaker’s tasting notes:
True to its name, the nose of this wine is bursting with aromas of white flowers, along with lemon curd and a touch of vanilla pastry cream and brine. Flavors of lemon curd and tangerine marmalade dominate the palate, along with hints of vanilla cream and a touch of toasty brioche. The intensity of the wine is carried on a beam of vibrant acid giving this wine great length and persistence.
Alcohol: 12.60% Ph: 3.21 TA: 6.6 g/l

The Alpine Lily was selected by Imbibe Magazine as their “Drink of the Week”:

2018 Red Electric “Evening Primrose” Chardonnay, Armstrong Vineyard, Ribbon Ridge AVA $33.00



The winemaking is identical to the Alpine Lily, but we used one new 500 liter French oak puncheon as part of this cuvée. We then inoculated the juice with our “pied du cuve” (built up natural yeast) to prompt the alcoholic fermentation, which took 5 weeks to complete. The wine then remains on its lees and we allowed malo-lactic fermentation to proceed. We left the wine on its lees for 17 months, racking the wine to tank one month before bottling. This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered on June 5th, 2020; we made only 100 cases of this wine. (25% new french oak)

Winemaker’s tasting note:
Aromas of citrus blossoms fill your glass, along with tangerine rind and a touch of salty brine. On the palate, the wine is focused, with bright acids balancing the intensely rich lemon curd flavors. The wine is long with a beam of acid carrying the intense citrus flavors on a long and slightly salty finish.Alcohol: 12.60% PH: 3.25 TA: 6.4 g/l
We love the three Pinot Noirs from 2018 as well.

2018 Red Electric “Interurban” Pinot Noir, Armstrong Vineyard, Ribbon Ridge AVA $28.00

The Red Electric Interurban is a broad snapshot of the Armstrong Vineyard on Ribbon Ridge. This blend contains all 6 clones of Pinot Noir grown on the vineyard (Pommard, Wadenswil, Dijon clones 114, 115, 777 an 667), showing you every expression the vineyard in the 2018 vintage. Each clone was picked separately, and fermentation occurred in 1.5 ton tanks, consisting of individual clones or multiple clones.

We picked the grapes between September 22nd and October 4th, 2018. Once the grapes arrived at the winery we hand sorted the grapes before destemming into fermentation tanks. We chose to leave 22% of the grapes “whole cluster” for this cuvee as we like the spicy aromatics and textured tannins the stems add to the wine. Fermentation was left to start with the natural yeast on the grapes and in our winery, it took around 5 days before fermentation started. Once fermentation began, we managed the cap with a mixture of “punch downs” and “pump overs” once or twice a day. We drained the wine from the fermenters when we felt we had the proper amount of extraction, between 18 and 28 days after picking. The wine was settled in tank for 48 hours before being racked to French oak barrels (8% new, 15 % once filled, 20 % Twice filled, 57% neutral), where it aged “sur lie” for 17 months.
This wine was bottled unfined, but lightly filtered on June 5th, 2020; we produced 320 cases of this wine.

Winemaker’s tasting note:
Dark garnet. The 2018 Interurban is a genetic clone of the 2016, with a soaring nose of red plums, earth and meaty broth. This is quintessential Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir, with layers of fine rose petal, lavender and violets. Complete in the palate with a sumptuous and refined finish, this wine is a glorious introduction to the 2018 Red Electric line of Pinot Noirs.
Alcohol: 13.85% PH: 3.68 TA: 5.2 g/l

2018 Red Electric “Pulse” Pinot Noir, Armstrong Vineyard, Ribbon Ridge AVA $50.00

The Red Electric Pulse is an intensely focused selection of clones grown in Armstrong vineyard. The 2018 Pulse is mostly Dijon 115 clone, (55%) with a fair amount of Pommard (30%) and nearly equal amounts of Dijon 777 and 667 finishing the blend. The goal is to produce a wine of depth and structure, the purest presentation of the vineyard in the 2018 vintage.

We picked the grapes between September 22nd and October 4th, 2018. Once the grapes arrived at the winery we hand sorted the grapes before destemming them into 1.5 ton fermentation tanks. We chose to leave 30% of the grapes “whole cluster” for this cuvee as we like the spicy aromatics and texturing tannins the stems add to the wine. Fermentation was left to start with the natural yeast on the grapes and in our winery, it took around 5 days before fermentation started. Once fermentation began, we managed the cap with a mixture of “punch downs” and “pump overs” once or twice a day. We drained the wine from the fermenters when we felt we had the proper amount of extraction, between 18 and 28 days after picking. The wine was settled in tank for 48 hours before being racked to French oak barrels (15% new, 15 % once filled, 20 % Twice filled, 50% neutral), where it aged “sur lie” for 17 months.This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered on June 5th, 2020; we produced 200 cases of this wine.


Winemaker’s note:
Aromatically complex with Asian spices such as turmeric and cumin intermingled with black cherry and kirsch notes. Taut and energetic in the palate which unfolds with aeration yielding a focused wine with length and brightness. Strong tannic structure suggests this wine will age gracefully for years. The 2018 Pulse shows restraint, yet highlights the natural bounty of the vintage and vineyard.
Alc: 13.72 PH: 3.62 TA: 5.4 g/l


2018 Red Electric “TGV” Pinot Noir, Armstrong Vineyard, Ribbon Ridge AVA $70

The Red Electric TGV is a wine that we bottle only in the most exceptional years. The 2018 vintage produced wines of great concentration and elegance; we bottled the TGV to show you the best of the vineyard in this wonderful vintage. The Pommard clone stood out in front of all other clones in 2018, with great concentration and pure Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir character, and it contributes 80% to this blend. The TGV also has 15% Dijon 115 clone, with the remaining 5% Dijon 667 clone.

We picked the grapes between September 22nd and October 4th, 2018. Once the grapes arrived at the winery we hand sorted the grapes before destemming them into 1.5 ton fermentation tanks. We chose to leave 40% of the grapes “whole cluster” for this cuvee as we like the spicy aromatics and texturing tannins the stems add to the wine. Fermentation was left to start with the natural yeast on the grapes and in our winery, it took around 5 days before fermentation started. Once fermentation began, we managed the cap with a mixture of “punch downs” and “pump overs” once or twice a day. We drained the wine from the fermenters when we felt we had the proper amount of extraction, between 18 and 28 days after picking. The wine was settled in tank for 48 hours before being racked to French oak barrels (25% new, 25 % once filled, 50% neutral), where it aged “sur lie” for 17 months. This wine was botted unfined and unfiltered on June 5th, 2020; we produced only 100 cases of this wine.

Winemaker’s note:
Rose hips, lavender and garrique nose promise a sumptuous Oregon pinot with complexity and finesse, yet the full palate delivers an abundance of dry extract, framing the body of the wine. Big-boned yet tight and focused with fine and chalky tannins that mellow with aeration. This wine highlights the natural abundance of Ribbon Ridge fruit with admirable restraint. Notes of provençal herbs, dry cassis and cumin predominate.
Alc: 13.89 PH: 3.68 TA: 5.2g/l


Wines have been submitted for critical review, pending.


Email sent. Can’t wait to try your Chardonnays!

Thanks Sheila–please report back after trying them!

Great to see you guys back at it this Berserkerday! Email sent and very much looking forward to trying your Chards.

Sante!

RT

Thanks for the order Loren!

Also looking forward to trying the Chards, so ordered 2 of the Teaser packs.

Thanks Richard–order received. Big virtual hug to Joanne.

Thanks Marshall, I think you’ll really like the Chards!

Excited to try these! [cheers.gif]

Robert, Matt–thanks for the orders! Have a great BD.

Doug and John

Don–thanks for your support. Stay warm in IA!

Todd, Clayton–many thanks. Enjoy!

In for a combo #2.

you got it Jon, much appreciated. Please give us some feedback after you open a few bottles!

Huge recommendation here! The Armstrong Vineyard is a special place that I’ve been lucky to work with since 2010. The Red Electric wines show the site in all its glory. Doug grows the grapes, John Grochau is the winemaker, buy with confidence here.

Brian, Corey, John…many thanks. have a great BD.

Just drank the Alpine Lily over 3 days two weeks ago…killer vino!!! Didn’t budge, lovely precision.

Cheers Doug!

The aromatics of Armstrong wines are unmistakable. Great site, great guys, great wines!

Doug, that ‘18 Pommard, though!

Thank you Will and Michael for your support and endorsements…couldn’t have more bona fides than you guys. Have a great BD.

Dude, you rock

Peter, Josh, David–thanks for your orders! The BD support has been tremendous, and we are most grateful to all.