Borden Ranch, Lodi.

“Deeply interesting.” David Crossley, Wide World of Wine.

So much going on! Savoury and floral, and some ripe, punchy fruit. Orange peel and lime zest, lemongrass, quince and grapefruit. Almond skin, nutmeg and root ginger. Lees ageing in neutral oak gives the wine finesse, sophistication, and a hint of nuttiness - a pleasing complement to the variety's balance of natural acidity, slight bitterness, and salty finish. Puts MANY a Spanish Albariño to shame! Also available in 375ml cans.

“Kongsgaard by day, Ferdinand wines by night” Quite the title for winemaker Evan Frazier, who first cut his teeth on winemaking in the 2006 harvest in the Roussillon. So enamoured by his experience with arms up to the elbows in fermentations, the old vines and steep schist slopes, Evan made the move to Napa to continue an apprenticeship in winemaking. Fast forward several years, and Evan is now working as assistant winemaker for the mighty Kongsgaard dynasty as well as producing wine under his own label, Ferdinand. Although it was France where he first worked, it was in the Cathar and Catalan country just outside the Pyrenees with a strong Spanish influence. When beginning his own project, he looked to Spain and their cultivars for inspiration, choosing to work with Albariño, Garnacha Blanca and Tempranillo. Evan’s wines walk a tightrope between their Spanish heritage and Californian interpretation, with the utmost respect to the fruit and the vineyard .

“I practice simple, traditional winemaking.  The wines are not inoculated, acidified, nutrified, watered back, and where possible bottled without filtration.  I measure my success as a winemaker by wines that are delicious, enjoyable at table, and affordable to drink. The project remains modest but continues to grow.  In the coming years I hope to make more wines as I continue to learn but seek to do so organically and independently. I produce only as much as I can make with my own hands.” Evan Frazier