From Noble Rot to Liquid Gold – the key to Dolce’s sweetness begins in the vineyard. Our late-harvest wine comes from a delicate blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in Coombsville and Oak Knoll. Inspired by the French Sauternes-style, the Dolce vineyard is gently tended to grow healthy and ripe fruit that will hang longer into the season, with hopes of growing Botrytis. The beneficial mold desiccates the clusters, concentrating sugars and flavors to produce our very special dessert wine.
Our Semillon grapes are grown in Coombsville, at the base of the Vaca Mountains. The crescent-shaped embrace of these mountains protects the vines from wind, allowing the morning mist to linger into midday – a necessity to any vineyard attempting to develop Noble Rot. Large canopies are also grown to cover the fruiting zone, trapping humidity and creating the right conditions for Noble Rot to prosper. To grow these unique grapes for Dolce wine, healthy vines and healthy soils will not suffice; the vineyard requires meticulous care and the cool touch of Mother Nature to take mere grapes and turn them into delightful nectar.
