2018 Joe Swick 'Shill-ah-blay’

Region: Columbia Valley < Washington & Oregon Grapes: Mourvedre, Marsanne Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Certified organic farming; high elevation vineyards on sandy loam soils; grapes are hand-harvested and whole bunches ferment semi-carbonically in 500-liter barrels with daily foot-stomping; skin macerated for about 30 days before pressing. The wine goes into 500-liter 5-year-old barrels for about 9 months of elevage; bottled unfined, unfiltered, no added sulfites; 12.8% ABV Winemaker: Joe Swick MOUNTAIN MAGIC:  Raw wine from Washington State vineyards at 1650 feet - you’ve seen Twilight, this place is all about the mountains and the rain and the crazy shit that happens in the wild, green forests.   Joe Swick is a 5th generation Oregonian winemaker who is somewhat of a natural wine pioneer in the Pacific Northwest. After traveling and working in wine all over, he returned to Oregon to start his own label in 2013. Like many young natural winemakers, he doesn’t own any vineyards but sou