Delegati
by Gianna Merkel
To get those bubbles, this wine was bottled before fermentation was complete; each bottle is therefore just a little different and we believe that you will find the bottle that you need. You’ll get decadent bubbles, strawberry, rhubarb, hints of pomegranate and cranberry, and a little black tea and spice.
Specs
Variety: Pinot Noir
Source: Block N15, Olson Ranch Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands
ABV: 12%
Acidity: 8 g/L TA
Bottles Produced: 3,000
Winemaking: We picked the grapes at 3am on October 6th and took them to our winery in San Miguel where we immediately pressed them to separate them from the skins. We held the juice in tank, very cold, for 36 hours to let it settle. Fermentation also happened on the cold side to preserve all those delicious red fruit aromas and flavors. Bottling this baby at exactly the right moment is what it all comes down to. Once it hit our target residual sugar, we centrifuged the wine to remove some of the solids (so it looks pretty in bottle), then we chilled the tank down even more to really slow that fermentation. Then it was bottled and moved to a warming room so that the fermentation would start back up again in bottle. We continued to check alcohol and residual sugar every two weeks until fermentation was complete and the wine was dry!
Note: Ancestral Method wines finish fermentation in bottle. It is lightly fined and filtered, so sediment in the bottle is part of the experience.
Gianna Merkel
In Gianna's words
“I’m from Modesto, CA. I moved to San Luis Obispo to go to Cal Poly for college and never left! I love SLO’s small town vibe, the beach and great hiking trails so easily accessible, the farmers market every Thursday, concerts in the Plaza every Friday in the Summer and the all-out Christmas decorations in the plaza all December!"
"Biggest influence? I’d have to give that one to my mom and dad. They were adamant that I should go to Cal Poly and that one decision was the real domino effect for everything that came after. My best friends, who also studied wine and viticulture, and are 95% of the reason that I didn’t change my major. Zach, my husband, who also loved SLO and knew even before I did that it would be a great place to stay. Also, the fact that winemaking would allow me to travel and live in different countries after college!”
Andrea Castro on Gianna Merkel
“The key to this project was meeting Gianna. Her passion and energy were inspiring, and it was clear from the start that her smile should be the focal point of my work. It was warm and joyful, and it truly resonated with me. The addition of pink hues and warm tones was a nod to Gianna’s preferences, which very happily aligned with my love for warm color palettes.
I faced some challenges initially, particularly in balancing the details. I found that focusing too much on the small aspects at first caused the painting to lose its joyful essence. It was only on my third attempt, when I simplified the whole portrait, that the painting truly captured the warmth and spirit I was aiming for.
Interestingly, even though her smile didn't make it to the final label, I'm pleased that the chosen eye design still conveys a sense of her smile.”
Label Art
Andrea Castro on Gianna Merkel
“The key to this project was meeting Gianna. Her passion and energy were inspiring, and it was clear from the start that her smile should be the focal point of my work. It was warm and joyful, and it truly resonated with me. The addition of pink hues and warm tones was a nod to Gianna’s preferences, which very happily aligned with my love for warm color palettes.
I faced some challenges initially, particularly in balancing the details. I found that focusing too much on the small aspects at first caused the painting to lose its joyful essence. It was only on my third attempt, when I simplified the whole portrait, that the painting truly captured the warmth and spirit I was aiming for.
Interestingly, even though her smile didn't make it to the final label, I'm pleased that the chosen eye design still conveys a sense of her smile.”