Stolpman Love You Bunches Carbonic Sangiovese 2021

Winemaker’s Notes

Stolpman Love You Bunches Carbonic Sangiovese 2021

BACKGROUND
We began producing Stolpman Love You Bunches Carbonic Sangiovese in 2013 in an effort to make a fresh, lighter version of Sangiovese. Sangiovese as a grape, is both highly tannic and high in acid – a one-two combination that often creates a rough, rustic profile when drunk young.

Before we experimented with carbonic fermentation, we intentionally picked Sangiovese on the ripe side to allow for the tannin and acid to soften. Then, we aged the wine in barrel for 30 months and another 6 months in bottle to allow the acid and tannin to integrate with the wine’s mid-palate flesh.

Carbonic Fermentation doesn’t extract the Sangiovese’s tannin because the grapes ferment whole, uncrushed in a sealed tank. Because we aren’t worried about under-ripe, coarse tannin; we can pick earlier, at lower sugar and rely on high, refreshing acidity for finishing balance in the absence of tannin. Because we don’t need to wait for integration, we bottle the wine within a few months of harvest, locking in the fresh profile.

In 2016, we re-branded Carbonic Sangiovese “Love You Bunches” – a pun for the gentle “loving” treatment of the whole grape bunches to keep the grapes intact through fermentation. Of course, the simple, whimsical label is the perfect fit for this fun, happy wine. The label shows off the beautiful penmanship of vineyard manager and Grape Whisperer, Ruben Solorzano.