Âmevive - 'Sundrop' - Roussanne, Viognier - Los Olivos District, Santa Barbara County, CA - 2024

@amevive, amevive.wine

Notes from the Winery/Importer

This wine comes from Tagabelle Vineyard, a small site just a stone’s throw from Ibarra-Young that is owned and cared for beyond organically by the Bolton family. From the moment I first learned about Tagabelle, I knew I wanted to create a co-ferment inspired by the Rhône whites I fell in love with while working in the Northern Rhône. These varieties always take me back to that time living in a medieval stone village, but Sundrop carries a distinctly Californian spirit.  Over the past few years, our relationship with the Boltons has grown into a true partnership. We’ve grazed our sheep among their vines, shared knowledge about holistic farming practices, and gradually woven our philosophies together. Today, we lease the vineyard, giving us the ability to steward the land as our own. We’re able to let the understory go wild and native, fine-tune the irrigation, and guide the vineyard’s vigor to match our vision. I look forward to watching this little vineyard continue to evolve, and to seeing it become more and more a part of us in the years ahead.

Notes on the Producer

Pronunciation: "ahm-veev" Translation: soulful, lively soul, living soul the emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments. high-mindedness; noble warmth of feeling, spirit or courage. the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity and separate from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part. --- We lease and farm the Ibarra-Young Vineyard in Los Olivos District A.V.A. This vineyard was planted by Charlotte Young in 1971 and is still owned by her three daughters. Charlotte's right-hand man, Miguel Ibarra, helped her plant the vineyard in 1971 and continued to work on the vineyard for more than 40 years. Today, we celebrate this duo by designating these 10 acres as the Ibarra-Young Vineyard. Ibarra-Young Vineyard was one of the first vineyards planted in the Santa Ynez Valley and has so much soul you can feel it. The first 3 acres were planted in 1971 and 3 more acres were planted in 1973. In the late ’90s and early 2000s Bob Lindquist completed Ibarra-Young's planted acreage with the "young" vines in the rockier section of the vineyard. The vineyard is planted to Syrah and Mourvèdre planted in 1971, Marsanne planted in 1973, as well as suitcase clone Tempranillo and Graciano planted in the late ’90s. Everything on the property is own-rooted and has been farmed organically since 1993. We began leasing and farming this special place at the beginning of 2020 and employ regenerative organic and biodynamic practices. Our goal is to rebuild an ecosystem of native species that live alongside our vine rows, regenerate soil health, and grow the highest quality grapes this site can give. We believe the best wine grapes are grown with minimal inputs and conscious vineyard management. We reject a systematic schedule for viticulture and farming in general. We believe that by working in conjunction with nature we can increase biodiversity and soil health, minimize unnecessary sprays, minimize tractor passes and compaction, decrease water use, and reduce our carbon footprint. We look forward to taking you along on this journey of unconventional viticulture with us. We hope to convince you that with a lot of passion and hard work, world-class wines are made with minimal intervention in a vineyard that grows alongside a healthy living ecosystem.

Grapes & Style

Roussanne

Roussanne is a northern Rhône white grape, often partnered with Marsanne but capable of distinctive wines on its own. It takes its name from the russet color the berries can develop when ripe, and it’s valued for aromatic complexity, texture, and ageworthy structure.

In the vineyard, Roussanne can be demanding. It’s susceptible to disease, can crop irregularly, and usually needs careful farming to ripen well without losing balance. When it works, it gives white wines with more architecture than obvious fruitiness.

In the glass, Roussanne often shows pear, quince, apricot, chamomile, honey, herbs, and a waxy or lanolin-like texture. The best versions are broad but not soft, with savory depth and enough acidity or phenolic grip to keep the wine focused.

Viognier

Viognier is a highly aromatic white grape most closely associated with Condrieu in the northern Rhône. It nearly disappeared in the twentieth century, but its dramatic perfume and rich texture helped bring it back, and it’s now grown in many warm-to-moderate regions around the world.

In the vineyard, Viognier can be tricky. It needs enough ripeness to show its full aromatic range, but if picked too late it can become heavy, alcoholic, and low in acidity. Good Viognier depends on timing: capturing fragrance and texture without letting the wine become blowsy.

In the glass, Viognier often shows apricot, peach, orange blossom, honeysuckle, ginger, and a rounded, oily texture. It’s usually full-bodied for a white wine and not especially high in acid. The best examples are generous and fragrant, but still composed — more silk than syrup.