Latah Creek Orange Moscato 2023
In early 2011, a freeze devastated Mike and Natalie’s Muscat Canelli vines. Throughout the year, they worked to find a solution and discovered several growers with different Muscat clones who generously offered part of their harvest to assist them. This act of kindness left a lasting impression, so when, in 2018, one of those growers reached out in a bind with grapes ready for harvest that very day, Mike and Natalie accepted the opportunity. Upon tasting the fruit, they realized they needed these grapes every year! The five tons of grapes are exclusively designated for their Moscato, aptly named Orange Moscato due to the natural orange flavors inherent in the grapes.
This wine demands meticulous attention. During fermentation, the juice is closely monitored, allowing it to reach 10% residual sugar before halting the fermentation process to maintain a sweet profile. However, due to the high sugar content, the wine is highly prone to spontaneous re-fermentation, even when stored at 30ºF. Consequently, Mike and Natalie must consistently check on this wine and bottle it as quickly as possible. Since the wine is kept at such low temperatures through bottling, the CO2 generated during fermentation never completely dissipates, resulting in a slight effervescence.
