Casa Jipi, Nebbiolo - 2022

Lulu Martinez Ojeda went to Bordeaux at 18 to study French, but quickly realized a calling to wine. After a decade in Bordeaux, Ms. Martinez returned to Mexico in 2014 to open a new winery in her home town of Ensenada. That's where Ms. Martinez broke conventional wisdom. She picks her grapes early evaluating the sugar content not by brix (measurement term for sugar content) but by the grapes' overall balance. Her Casa Jipi Nebbiolo is a prime example of her fresh style of wine. 100% Nebbiolo grapes from Rancho Llano Colorado are fermented at low temperatures and aged 9 months in stainless steel, eschewing the traditional oak usage seen in the Piedmonte. This wine has vibrant fruit notes of ripe raspberry, strawberry and red cherry. Aromatic and spicy notes of fresh rose, sandalwood, blood orange peel, menthol, and rust.