Hatton Daniels|Rosé of Dornfelder ​ ​ ​ ​ Mokelumne Glen Vineyard |Mokelumne River AVA ​ ​ The Story: This is a true story of expecting to kiss a frog and ​ finding beautiful wines and great people. Hatton Daniels is a tiny Napa winery working with unusual varietals: Dornfelder, Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, and Malvasia Bianco, in addition to Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Dan Fishman is the winemaker, who in 2007 worked at Calvert Woodley Fine Wine & Spirits in DC. He makes some of the most interesting California wines we have tasted in a long time. Production ranges from 25-115 cases so there is not much to go around, but they are worth seeking out. Vineyard: Mokelumne Glen Vineyard in Lodi, CA. Viticultural ​ ​ practices include cane pruning (seldom used in the Lodi area) and expanded vertical trellis, and a dual irrigation system utilizing the most favorable benefits of both drip and sprinkler. Grapes harvested prior to full maturity for fresh rose acidity. Vinification: Clusters were pressed directly after harvest, ​ squeezed very gently, only using about 60% of the total potential juice to ensure light color and delicate flavors. The wine was then fermented with native yeast in old oak barrels, and ultimately transferred to a used 500L puncheon for aging. Malolactic fermentation was prevented in order to preserve the beautiful, fresh acidity. Ageing: Aged 3 months in barrel. ​ ​ Everything else you want to know about this wine: The wine was bottled without fining or filtration. For this ​ reason it often throws a sediment, or even so-called “wine-diamonds,” the crystals of tartaric acid that form when the wine is chilled. These are harmless, and will settle easily to the bottom of the bottle so that clean wine can be poured off the top. Hatton Daniels had released a “minuscule rose bottling” ​ from Pinot Noir saignee in 2014 and in 2015, but starting in 2016 they wanted to find some good fruit and do a true cluster-pressed rose and found this fruit available through Mokelumne Glen Vineyard. .