Lightwell Survey 'The Way It Was Before' 2023

63% Chambourcin, 25% Petit Manseng, 7% Vidal Blanc, 2% Riesling, 2% Chardonel, and 1% Traminette. Explosive & vibrant. The Chamborcin is giving beaujo in the most purple way possible. Electric and infinitely drinkable, this is a summer drinkin’ red @ its best. The Petit Manseng really helps keep this juice bomb light on its toes while committing aromatics to the wine for days. Drink this wine with a hard chill, more than you think, almost white wine temp and rejoice. 162 cases produced.

FRUIT SOURCES
Bluestone Vineyard Chambourcin, Sherman Ridge Petit Manseng, Rainbow Hill Vidal Blanc and Chardonel, Shenandoah Vineyards Riesling, Middlebrook Traminette

WINEMAKING
This wine was inspired by our 2022 collaboration with Troddenvale where we floated Chambourcin grapes on pressed apple juice. For this wine, we substituted pressed white grapes (mostly Petit Manseng, because you know) and the result is still a light and fresh red, but with some added acid and concentration that comes with the grape that we put in every wine (that’s Petit Manseng, if you were wondering).

CHEMISTRY
pH: 3.66
TA: 5.8 g/L
Free SO2 at bottling: Probably ~ 8 ppm? 14 ppm total addition
Alcohol: 11.7% abv
RS: 0.5 g/L
Malic Acid: 0.1 g/L
Acetic acid at bottling: 0.5 g/L

About Lightwell Survey:

Lightwell Survey is a Virginia winery shining a new light on the traditional wine-scape. Our small batches of lively reds, dense whites and unique combinations of the two come with no preconceived descriptions or traditional aspirations. We aim for a bullseye yet prefer to land slightly off center. Started in the fall of 2015 with our first harvest in partnership with Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison, VA, our wines will continue to delve into traditional and not so familiar territory as we bring our wines to market. Formed by partners Sebastian Zutant, Ben Jordan, Jay Zutant, Julian Caustrita, and John DeNapoli.