Amador County, Sierra Foothills

95% Tempranillo and 5% Graciano., picked early to retain its natural acidity. 100% destemmed and transferred to a stainless fermenter, where natural fermentation kicked off after five days. Gentle pump overs twice daily for two weeks so as to gain the best and gentlest extraction, before being moved to barrels for malolactic fermentation and 20 months ageing. Minimal SO2 on bottling and no fining or filtration.

This Non-vintage wine is a blend of 2016 / 2017 and 2018 harvests.

Medium ruby in color, dry and elegant. It smells of Tempranillo's characteristic wild red fruits and plum with a touch of underbrush. A savoury wine with hints of smoke and leather, this certainly pays homage to some of the great Tempranillo driven wines of Ribera del Duero. Intense and very lively in the glass when given some air; subtle with a silky freshness and present but resolved tannin. The wine should age well for 10 years or more. 

Press:

Mid crimson. Highly and prettily perfumed with red fruit and a hint of flowers. Much firmer and denser than I expected on the palate, gently grainy tannins, full of red fruit, rich and lively at the same time. Lovely for current drinking but no rush. 17. Jancis Robinson MW, as featured in the FT magazine. 

About the Producer

“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

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

Well, first there was the Albarino in a can, as featured on Sunday Brunch in March 2019. Now, something new - a rose!!

“Packed in small jazzy can. Carignan. Very light orangey pink. Hints of orange and red fruits, very aromatic. Full of fruit flavour and depth for moderate alcohol. Excellent freshness and balance. Dry but very fruity and just the right presence of light tannins.. Delicious start to the tasting.” Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com

Look, we know there is a lot of wine now available in an, but this really is the creme de la creme. Or, well, creme de la can. Not many producers would consider canning this wine considering how special the vineyard and fruit is, but Evan Frazier does. A can may be unorthodox to you, but it has all sorts of benefits, most importantly for us, the smallest carbon footprint. They’re also airtight, light and easy peasy to recycle.

100% Carignane rose from Lodi from a 75 year old bush vine vineyard that is farmed by Leo Manassero. He grew up farming this block with his father and grandfather, and his son helps him today.

These vines are huge, offering a large protective canopy to shade the fruit, on silica rich, white sandy soil. The fruit was picked on 6th September, whole cluster pressed stems and all using a gentle champagne press cycle and fermented without additions in stainless. Canned in early January '19, 100% unmanipulated and a glowing copper-pinky hue. Rock on! 12% ABV.

Lodi, California

Wonderfully bright and textured - lemon barley water, lemon peel and a ylang ylang herbaceous tang. Concentrated, and creamily textured, with plenty of ripe pears and even a little semi dried pineapple. Another fantastic Californian take by Evan Frazier on a Spanish variety!

“It’s as tasty as its Catalan counterpart can be, with a herby and savoury demeanour, complemented by some Californian sunshine.” David Crossley, Wide World of Wine

“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