A Fulbright Scholar, journalist and all-around Renaissance woman, Sonja Magdevski is one of California’s most brilliant and creative winemakers. We are just getting her wines in (they were brought in just for us), and are the NC exclusive for this. Her original winery (and life) partner was Emilio Estevez. But she ditched him and wisely kept her wineries.
Of this Roussanne, she says:
Luscious vibrancy in a bottle. I love Roussanne. 100% Zaca Mesa fruit, one of the rare plantings in Santa Barbara County. Fermented long and cool on Chardonnay lees adding a slight reductive sexiness full of saline to balance the bombastic fruit.
Or the long version, from her Facebook post:
This is a stunning grape with sun-kissed hues. For the 2021 vintage, we sourced from Zaca Mesa and picked in the goldilocks zone of early October, when sunlight and warmth begin to gently ebb.
This season’s glow reminds me of apple harvest on my family’s orchard in Podmocani, North Macedonia – a tiny village with ancient cobblestone streets leading to the stone water fountain at the center of town where lovers and the lovelorn gather to spy for tomorrow morning’s whispers.
In this region, the winds from Great Prespa, a high elevation tectonic lake just a few miles away, kiss each and every apple blossom, blessing a delicious, fruitful bounty.
The fragrance of this Roussanne takes me right there, amidst the ample branches in the late morning sun gently twisting each perfect package from its stem and tenderly placing it in the harvest pouch slung over my shoulders. 150 cases produced. Santa Barbara County.
A must-add for wine lovers to their palate portfolio of pleasure.
Of the entire lineup of her wines (many with huge press), this is the one that impressed us the most. And certainly, I can’t think of ANY California Chardonnay at anywhere near this price that can hold a candle to it.
