2022 Localism Wines "Mokelumne Glen Vineyard" Mokelumne River Kerner

Localism wines is a really exciting boutique project from Ryan and Nicole Knoth. Perhaps you recognize Ryan's name, but you will almost certainly start hearing even more about him going forward. After blowing up Sinegal's wines with MASSIVE scores from the world's top wine critics, earlier this year Ryan took the top winemaking job at the legendary Joseph Phelps Vineyards. 2023 will be his first vine-to-bottle vintage for Phelps and I'm super excited to see where he takes the wines. Localism is the creative outlet as you will, where Ryan is free to make tiny lots of wine from varietals and vineyards that are compelling. He's looking far and wide for interesting fruit sources including experimenting with this wine - Kerner, an aromatic white grape from Germany though I most commonly associate it with the Alto Adige in northern Italy where it produces phenomenal wines. Coming from Mokelumne Glen Vineyard in Lodi, this vineyard has become one of THE places winemakers look to for unusual varietals. The vineyard is super diverse with a dozen or more esoteric grapes planted. Localism's Kerner is aromatic and floral, with mouthwatering acidity and chalky minerality. Great texture and concentration but with fresh vibrant cut and focus.