Jolie-Laide, California Red 2021

What started out as a one man operation making 500 cases has now turned into a full on family affair producing over 3000. Based in Sebastopol, California Scott Schultz is one of the new wave of wine makers working with a new found freedom that has long been lost in these warmer climes. The winemaking is really rather simple as grapes are left whole cluster before being foot crushed and aged in neutral oak. Fermentation takes place with native yeasts and the naturally high acid in the fruit sourced from sustainable growers allows for very little S02 to be added. The name Jolie-Ladie is a loose translation of a french phrase of ‘pretty-ugly’ which mimics the unconventionally beauty found in their wines.