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Reviewed by Julien L.
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Favorite revel « wine »
Really good balance
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Rated 3 out of 5
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Rated 3 out of 5
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Willow
Rated 5.0 out of 5
Shipping calculated at checkout.
We don't always wait years to release a wine, but with Willow, i'm glad we did. This blend is a reach across time; from fruit harvested in 2020, 2021, and 2022. We had no idea how special it would become.
Willow is a mind-trip. Made from skin contact Seyval Blanc, Muscat Ottonel aged for years in a barrel lined with beeswax, and the juice of Golden Spice pears, organically grown and added at bottling for natural bubbles.
It's a lightly sparkling pét nat (Vinho Verde or Txakoli levels of bubble) so we wrote 'perlant natural' on the label. It's glittery, not fully sparkling.
What's it like? Willow drinks somewhere in between Vinho Verde, Limoncello and citrus blossoms. The vibe is fresh and floral, like a citrus orchard planted by a Basque meadow, full of bees sipping from wildflowers between the trees.
Willow has an undercurrent of honey dipped magnolia flowers in both flavour and aroma. The beeswax lends perceptual sweetness, without actual sugar (it's completely dry).
The soft bubbles elevate a unique floral mix: like bergamot and apple blossoms crushed on an orchard floor.
It's an incredible blend, and if we could go back in time we would make so much more of it.
Serve chilled.
11% ABV | 750mL
Ingredients: Seyval Blanc, Muscat Ottonel, Organic Golden Spice Pears. Gluten free.
Wild ferment. Zero residual sugar. Not vegan (because of the beeswax barrel).
Strong friendships take time. And great friendships are built by great conversations.
Fermentation is a cross-species conversation between humans, microbes and fruit. But we learn more by listening than speaking. What do we hear?
The squeeze of a lemon peel. Pineapples ripening in the sun. Ocean mist on orchard leaves.
Technical details
Varietals: Seyval Blanc (75%), Muscat Ottonel (20%), Perry (5%)
Vintage: 2020
Alcohol: 10.1%
Vineyards: Grapes from Backus Farms in Lincoln Ontario, farmed by Douglas Backus and family. Farmed conventionally, but with sustainable practices (eg. baking soda + sulphur sprays). Deep sand. The whole clusters were hand harvested by the Backus family.
Pears from Twin Pines in Thedford Ontario. Conventional orchard. Temperature moderated by proximity to Lake Huron.
Vinification: Willow is a blend of 75% Seyval Blanc, 25% Muscat Ottonel and 5% perry, all wild fermented and bottled as a pét nat.
The grapes were both fermented on skins (7 days for the Seyval Blanc and 5 days for the Muscat). The addition of pear juice at bottling allowed for a small amount of bottle fermentation for natural bubbles.
Long ageing in glass has turned Willow into something incredible. We bottled it on October 29th, 2020, without any sulphur whatsoever. Lightly sparkling pét nat. Unfined, unfiltered.
Serving Temp: Cool. Willow is great after 1 hour in the fridge, but it doesn't absolutely need it. It invites spontaneity, and is perfect for casual picnics.
