Two Shepherds Trousseau Gris 2024
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The Land
There is exactly one commercial planting of Trousseau Gris left in California, and this is it. The Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard sits in the Russian River Valley, planted in 1981 by Peter Fanucchi's father back when the grape was still called Grey Riesling and was widely planted across the state. Everything else got pulled out. The site is sandy Russian River bench land, cool and fog-influenced, with morning marine fog burning off into warm afternoons and then dropping cold again at night. Trousseau Gris is a pink-skinned mutation of the Jura's Trousseau, and it needs precisely this kind of long, cool ripening window to hold its acidity while the skins develop color. Two Shepherds farms it as a neighbor; the vineyard is down the road from their own place in Windsor.
The Wine
100% Trousseau Gris, destemmed and fermented on its skins for about five days before pressing to neutral vessel. That short skin ferment is what gives the wine its color, a pale copper-pink that is neither white nor rose and does not try to be either. Five days is enough to pull texture and a light phenolic grip without the wine going bitter or tannic. Expect white peach, watermelon rind, dried orange, wet stone, and a savory, almost herbal note underneath, dry and quite high in acid with a lightly grippy finish. 2024 in the Russian River Valley ran cool in spring, warm through midsummer, then mild in the days and genuinely cold at night through harvest, which let the fruit hang and hold acidity.
The People
Two Shepherds is William Allen and Karen Daenen, working from a small farm in Windsor. Allen started the label in 2010, Daenen became a partner in 2015, and the operation has stayed deliberately tiny. They hand-farm their own organic Grenache and Grenache Gris, keep goats and a donkey, and lease specific rows from family-owned growers around northern California so they can dictate the farming and pick on their own terms. The Fanucchi partnership has run for well over a decade of consecutive harvests. Their range is built around Rhone varieties and skin-fermented whites, and this wine sits squarely at the intersection.
Food Pairing
The light grip and salinity make this unusually good with food that is hard to pair. Try it with pork banh mi, a summer tomato and peach salad with burrata, grilled shrimp tacos with cabbage slaw, or a plate of prosciutto and melon. The skin texture stands up to chile heat and herbs where a straightforward white would disappear, and the acidity handles vinegar and pickles. Serve it cold, around 50 degrees, in a white wine glass.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
This region includes wines labeled "North Coast", which are often blends including Sonoma and Napa counties. This expansive area encompasses established regions like Mendocino and Lake Counties, as well as newer vineyard sites pushing towards the Oregon border. Mendocino County is known for its varied climates, from the Anderson Valley's cool, fog-influenced areas ideal for Pinot Noir and sparkling wine, to warmer inland spots. Lake County, further inland, offers volcanic soils and a warmer climate suitable for Cabernet Sauvignon and other varieties. Beyond these, even more northerly locations are being explored for their unique terroir, contributing to the evolving identity of California's northern wine production.
