Idlewild’s focus is two-fold: First, Piedmontese varieties as single varietal and vineyard wines of typicity, energy, and balance; and second, Piedmontese varietal blends that balance joy and depth while complementing the table.
2021 Idlewild Barbera, Lost Hills Ranch, Yorkville Highlands
93 Points, Vinous
Tasting Notes
While I tend towards lighter and brighter in my reds, Barbera is the exception. With such amazing natural acidity, a deeper and more brooding wine can still find balance. The year spent in large format Slovenien oak Botti added an additional layer to the mouthfeel by filling out the tannin profile while also maintaining the freshness. Amarena cherries, earth, pepper like spice, violets, graphite and fresh Santa Rosa plums are aromatic highlights. A full and lush front and mid palate are balanced by the firm and very fresh structure.
Vineyard
Lost Hills Ranch sits on a lonely ridge in the Yorkville Highlands. Located near the southwest corner of Mendocino County, the climate is marked by a clash of maritime and continental influence. At 1500 feet of elevation, the vineyard often looks down on the fog hugging the valley below, or conversely, the cooling winds run along the ridge as the heat sinks on warmer days. The soils are comprised of deep fractured sandstone with veins of schist. The vine roots work hard to push deep into the rock, and in turn, a powerful core can be found in the fruit grown here. Holistic and organic practices ensure a healthy site for now and for future generations to come.
Vintage
2021 was a year that had us worried with drought and low yields, yet that is often the recipe for amazing fruit. We were lucky to have done a lot of work in the last few years to train our vines to less water while also increasing organic matter in the soils, which translates to higher water holding capacity. In other words, we cruised right on through these tough growing conditions and were able to see amazing fruit across the board.
Winemaking
Barbera is all acid and no tannin… literally, there is next to no tannin in the skins. With this in mind, the grapes were fully foot trodden and all stems were included for added spice and structure. The must fermented naturally via native yeast and bacteria. At dryness, the wine was pressed to large Slovenien oak Botti where it evolved and integrated for a year. Then, a year in bottle completed its aging.
Specs
Varietal: Barbera
Appellation: Yorkville Highlands
Alcohol: 13.6%
350 cases produced
2021 Idlewild Dolcetto, Lost Hills Ranch, Yorkville Highlands
90 Points, Vinous
Tasting Notes
The 2021 Dolcetto is a balance of bright and lifted aromatics against a taute and lithe structure. The elevage in large format Slovenien oak Botti pushed this contrast further by retaining freshness while also filling out the mouthfeel and structure. The nose shows high toned spices, red cherry, earth, roses, almond, and anise. The mouth is medium bodied with freshness and firm tannin on the finish. It is joyful and fully serious all at once.
Vineyard
Lost Hills Ranch sits on a lonely ridge in the Yorkville Highlands. Located near the southwest corner of Mendocino County, the climate is marked by a clash of maritime and continental influence. At 1500 feet of elevation, the vineyard often looks down on the fog hugging the valley below, or conversely, the cooling winds run along the ridge as the heat sinks on warmer days. The soils are comprised of deep fractured sandstone with veins of schist. The vine roots work hard to push deep into the rock, and in turn, a powerful core can be found in the fruit grown here. Holistic and organic practices ensure a healthy site for now and for future generations to come.
Vintage
2021 was a year that had us worried with drought and low yields, yet that is often the recipe for amazing fruit. We were lucky to have done a lot of work in the last few years to train our vines to less water while also increasing organic matter in the soils, which translates to higher water holding capacity. In other words, we cruised right on through these tough growing conditions and were able to see amazing fruit across the board.
Winemaking
The grapes were brought in and sorted to larger fermenting bins where they were partially foot trodden, and all of the stems were included. This practice lends several things including floral lift, spice, and structure; and, it also leads to a very healthy fermentation. Native yeast and bacteria were responsible for the primary and secondary fermentations. As the wine neared dryness, it was basket pressed and then put down to large format Slovenien oak Botti for a year of elevage. Then, a year in bottle completed its aging.
Specs
Varietal: Dolcetto
Appellation: Yorkville Highlands
Alcohol: 12.2%
350 cases produced.
2021 Idlewild Cortese, Lost Hills Ranch, Yorkville Highlands
91 Points, Vinous
Tasting Notes
This wine is a balance of texture in a lithe and demure format. The elevage in large Slovenien oak Botti retained great freshness while also framing the wine beautifully. Lemon balm, chamomile, sage, orange peel, straw, and white tea are highlights of the aromas. The mouthfeel is saline and viscous followed by driving acidity and firm phenolic power.
Vineyard
Lost Hills Ranch sits on a lonely ridge in the Yorkville Highlands. Located near the southwest corner of Mendocino County, the climate is marked by a clash of maritime and continental influence. At 1500 feet of elevation, the vineyard often looks down on the fog hugging the valley below, or conversely, the cooling winds run along the ridge as the heat sinks on warmer days. The soils are comprised of deep fractured sandstone with veins of schist. The vine roots work hard to push deep into the rock, and in turn, a powerful core can be found in the fruit grown here. Holistic and organic practices ensure a healthy site for now and for future generations to come.
Vintage
2021 was a year that had us worried with drought and low yields, yet that is often the recipe for amazing fruit. We were lucky to have done a lot of work in the last few years to train our vines to less water while also increasing organic matter in the soils, which translates to higher water holding capacity. In other words, we cruised right on through these tough growing conditions and were able to see amazing fruit across the board.
Winemaking
Roughly 20% of the blend was fermented on skins and sees an extended maceration of one and a half months for added depth and evolved structure. While this is a rather rare practice for a white wine, it lends a very savory and structured layer to the blend. To balance with freshness and minerality, the remaining 80% of the blend was directly pressed and fermented in neutral puncheon in a more common white wine fashion. Both of the two components were fermented naturally via native yeast and native bacteria. After a year in large Slovenien oak Botti, the wine was bottled late the following Autumn, followed by an additional year of bottle age.
Specs
Varietal: Cortese
Appellation: Yorkville Highlands
Alcohol: 12.1%
350 cases produced.
What’s Included
3-bottles:
1x - 2021 Idlewild Barbera, Lost Hills Ranch, Yorkville Highlands
1x - 2021 Idlewild Dolcetto, Lost Hills Ranch, Yorkville Highlands
1x - 2021 Idlewild Cortese, Lost Hills Ranch, Yorkville Highlands
Case:
4x - 2021 Idlewild Dolcetto, Lost Hills Ranch, Yorkville Highlands
4x - 2021 Idlewild Barbera, Lost Hills Ranch, Yorkville Highlands
4x - 2021 Idlewild Cortese, Lost Hills Ranch, Yorkville Highlands
Idlewild has a relatively concise aim within a broad context: to produce wines of exceptional balance and beauty. It is a journey to pursue Italy’s Piedmont in the elevated hills of Mendocino County, and to find the sides of these varieties that are intriguing, delicious, and haunting.
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Idlewild Barbera, Dolcetto & Cortese - $90 = 32.14%
Apologies if a bit disorganized and no pics, working off of a small phone screen. Got the email from Terry if we were available, we were, and a bottle of the Dolcetto showed up Wednesday, smooth delivery. Gave it a couple days to rest and popped it on Saturday with dinner.
Quick and dirty from my lovely bride, who absolutely hates doing this: Floral notes, light body, easy to drink, not overbearing, cherry nose, good pairing with our meal, which was a lamb saddle stuffed with rosemary and copious amounts of garlic, salt, pepper…sheet pan of rosemary parm potatoes, demi, and caprese.
Ok, popped at 56F, took it up to around 64F, performed best in the middle of that range…medium ruby color, no sediment, slow pour into a decanter, subdued nose which was more expressive after an hour or so, cherry , some perfume, spice, displays some legs for those of you that are attracted to 'em light but plentiful fruit not overbearing or heavy, so I guess that’s light/medium body. We don’t drink a ton of domestic Dolcetto but probably fits the usual descriptors…relatively light+ in body, plenty of acid, def structure/earthy/tannins, modest abv and my guess is that’s a pretty honest number, bit of a short but flavorful finish… this is a food wine my humble, not a cocktail wine, a pretty darn good one in fact. I hope it’s $12 and not $20
Day 2, still good, maybe a bit softer and rounder, bride thought it lost a step, in other words she liked day 1 better.
Ok seeing the offer, landed between my price guess which is what I kind of figured. Contemplated a purchase if price was right, but do I need a case of Dolcetto, not really… however I see it’s a mixed case which is certainly intriguing… waiting on rats, but I’m guessing the Barbera is going to be more this style than some other popular offers here and the Cortese interesting for sure.
Thanks to all for the opportunity to opine on a domestic wine I don’t have a ton of experience with.
TL;DR - VERY interesting white wine. Dry. Minerally. Herbal. If you’re a fan of the oaky-buttery stuff, this is NOT for you. If you like a white that smacks you in the palate a little, you might just enjoy this. (Spoiler, I did.)
Got a surprise email last week from Terry and eureka! I was the golden ticket winner for a rattage bottle.
It arrived hot from UPS. It’s been hotter than the surface of the sun here in SC, like the rest of the country. I let it rest for a bit and then stuck it in the bar fridge, which is set cold, not wine-cold.
DH and I planned on tasting on Sunday night; however, he got a last-minute speaking gig in Orlando, so the tasting was left solely to me.
PNP was at cold fridge temp. Since this is an Italian varietal, I was figuring it would be better cold. It was good, but it really didn’t come into its own until it was warmer. The initial nose was floral and lemony, but not overwhelming. The first sip was too cold to discern much of anything except a lovely and slightly viscous mouthfeel. This is NOT a thin white wine at all. After it had been sitting for a few minutes, I sniffed again and got all kinds of greenness. Not sauv blanc green, but a very earthy, herbal green. Grass, almost. And a very predominant herbal lemon. There was an underlying bitterness to the wine that was delightful. It went exceptionally well with the Babybel that I foraged from the back of the cheese drawer. Did I mention I was flying solo last night?
As it warmed to room temp, the earthy, floral notes opened up even more and the lemon became slightly more subdued, but still present. And you got both the lemon and lemon-peel flavors. That bitterness again! There is nothing even remotely fruity about this wine. It continued to grow on me with every sip. I think this would be fabulous with a cheese-heavy charcuterie. The acidity of the wine cuts through the cheese like it was made for it. It’s also decent just for sipping.
Since it was a Sunday night and Monday is an early morning for me, I limited it to one glass, and the rest is back in the fridge. I’ll do my best to report back on day 2 flavors tomorrow.
I put the price point at around $30 retail. If this were a single-varietal case, I would probably pick up the small version because it’s SO interesting, but I’m swimming in white wine right now. Too hot to drink red in SC in July. With the mixed case, I may have to be in for one, especially since I love Italian wines. My family is from Abruzzi, after all.
Thanks for the opportunity to sample this unique and lovely wine!!
Jancis Robinson dot com:
Cortese… 16.5/20 20% of the wine is fermented on its skins with ambient yeasts and an extended maceration for 1.5–2 months. The remainder is whole-cluster pressed and fermented with ambient yeasts. The blended wine ages for about 13 months in large, 32-hl Italian botti. Natural malolactic conversion. 320 cases produced.
Smells of wet pavement, citrus pith and a hint of wet wool. Lean, faintly saline flavours of citrus pith and unripe pear mix with a hint of nougat and lemongrass. Drink through 2026. Alder Yarrow. 1/11/25
Dolcetto… 16/20. Fermented with ambient yeasts, one-third destemmed, two-thirds whole cluster. Once the fermentations are nearly complete, the wine is pressed into 32-hl Italian botti for a year before bottling. Natural malolactic conversion. 320 cases produced.
Aromas of cherry, leather and dried herbs. Powdery, mouth-coating tannins surround flavours of cherry, strawberry and dried herbs. Notes of leather and dusty earth mix with a hint of citrus peel in the finish. Excellent acidity. Drink through 2029. Alder Yarrow 1/11/25
Barbera…16.5/20. Smells of black cherry and orange peel. Black-cherry and orange-peel flavours mix with a hint of dried herbs as supple, fleecy tannins coat the palate. Juicy with excellent acidity and even a little salinity. Very appealing. Drink through 2032. Alder Yarrow. 1/11/25
Labrat here reporting from Guatemala while on vacation. Received bottle a day before we were heading out and still needing to pack so had other thoughts on our mind.
Idlewild
2021 Barbera
Lost Hills ranch
Yorkville highlands
Visual
Sediment on the cork and in the glass.
Nose
Some floral rosy notes, tart cherries, sort of a chalky hint.
Taste
Med body, med tannins, has a sour metallic feel to it, wife says has a pop rock fizz feel to it (I didnt sense this), has high acidity. Has a chalky finish to it.
Could benefit from decanting to open it up. Seems like a drink now wine, maybe a few years hold.
I feel silly typing this, but I don’t know how to post photos from my phone to share here. Any help would be appreciated.
Idlewild Barbera, Dolcetto & Cortese
2021 Idlewild Barbera, Lost Hills Ranch, Yorkville Highlands
93 Points, Vinous
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Vintage
Winemaking
Specs
2021 Idlewild Dolcetto, Lost Hills Ranch, Yorkville Highlands
90 Points, Vinous
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Vintage
Winemaking
Specs
2021 Idlewild Cortese, Lost Hills Ranch, Yorkville Highlands
91 Points, Vinous
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Vintage
Winemaking
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
not for sale on winery website, $576/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Aug 17 - Tuesday, Aug 18
Idlewild Barbera, Dolcetto & Cortese
3 bottles for $69.99 $23.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $189.99 $15.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2021 Idlewild Barbera
2021 Idlewild Dolcetto
2021 Idlewild Cortese
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Idlewild Barbera, Dolcetto & Cortese - $90 = 32.14%
2021 Idlewild Dolcetto
Apologies if a bit disorganized and no pics, working off of a small phone screen. Got the email from Terry if we were available, we were, and a bottle of the Dolcetto showed up Wednesday, smooth delivery. Gave it a couple days to rest and popped it on Saturday with dinner.
Quick and dirty from my lovely bride, who absolutely hates doing this: Floral notes, light body, easy to drink, not overbearing, cherry nose, good pairing with our meal, which was a lamb saddle stuffed with rosemary and copious amounts of garlic, salt, pepper…sheet pan of rosemary parm potatoes, demi, and caprese.
Ok, popped at 56F, took it up to around 64F, performed best in the middle of that range…medium ruby color, no sediment, slow pour into a decanter, subdued nose which was more expressive after an hour or so, cherry , some perfume, spice, displays some legs for those of you that are attracted to 'em
light but plentiful fruit not overbearing or heavy, so I guess that’s light/medium body. We don’t drink a ton of domestic Dolcetto but probably fits the usual descriptors…relatively light+ in body, plenty of acid, def structure/earthy/tannins, modest abv and my guess is that’s a pretty honest number, bit of a short but flavorful finish… this is a food wine my humble, not a cocktail wine, a pretty darn good one in fact. I hope it’s $12 and not $20 
Day 2, still good, maybe a bit softer and rounder, bride thought it lost a step, in other words she liked day 1 better.
Ok seeing the offer, landed between my price guess which is what I kind of figured. Contemplated a purchase if price was right, but do I need a case of Dolcetto, not really… however I see it’s a mixed case which is certainly intriguing… waiting on rats, but I’m guessing the Barbera is going to be more this style than some other popular offers here and the Cortese interesting for sure.
Thanks to all for the opportunity to opine on a domestic wine I don’t have a ton of experience with.
2021 Idlewild Cortese
TL;DR - VERY interesting white wine. Dry. Minerally. Herbal. If you’re a fan of the oaky-buttery stuff, this is NOT for you. If you like a white that smacks you in the palate a little, you might just enjoy this. (Spoiler, I did.)
Got a surprise email last week from Terry and eureka! I was the golden ticket winner for a rattage bottle.
It arrived hot from UPS. It’s been hotter than the surface of the sun here in SC, like the rest of the country. I let it rest for a bit and then stuck it in the bar fridge, which is set cold, not wine-cold.
DH and I planned on tasting on Sunday night; however, he got a last-minute speaking gig in Orlando, so the tasting was left solely to me.
PNP was at cold fridge temp. Since this is an Italian varietal, I was figuring it would be better cold. It was good, but it really didn’t come into its own until it was warmer. The initial nose was floral and lemony, but not overwhelming. The first sip was too cold to discern much of anything except a lovely and slightly viscous mouthfeel. This is NOT a thin white wine at all. After it had been sitting for a few minutes, I sniffed again and got all kinds of greenness. Not sauv blanc green, but a very earthy, herbal green. Grass, almost. And a very predominant herbal lemon. There was an underlying bitterness to the wine that was delightful. It went exceptionally well with the Babybel that I foraged from the back of the cheese drawer. Did I mention I was flying solo last night?
As it warmed to room temp, the earthy, floral notes opened up even more and the lemon became slightly more subdued, but still present. And you got both the lemon and lemon-peel flavors. That bitterness again! There is nothing even remotely fruity about this wine. It continued to grow on me with every sip. I think this would be fabulous with a cheese-heavy charcuterie. The acidity of the wine cuts through the cheese like it was made for it. It’s also decent just for sipping.
Since it was a Sunday night and Monday is an early morning for me, I limited it to one glass, and the rest is back in the fridge. I’ll do my best to report back on day 2 flavors tomorrow.
I put the price point at around $30 retail. If this were a single-varietal case, I would probably pick up the small version because it’s SO interesting, but I’m swimming in white wine right now. Too hot to drink red in SC in July. With the mixed case, I may have to be in for one, especially since I love Italian wines. My family is from Abruzzi, after all.
Thanks for the opportunity to sample this unique and lovely wine!!
@veevandyke must be the 2021 Cortese
@ttboy23 Yeah. Duh. Sorry. Was still working on my first cup of coffee. ♥
Jancis Robinson dot com:
Cortese… 16.5/20 20% of the wine is fermented on its skins with ambient yeasts and an extended maceration for 1.5–2 months. The remainder is whole-cluster pressed and fermented with ambient yeasts. The blended wine ages for about 13 months in large, 32-hl Italian botti. Natural malolactic conversion. 320 cases produced.
Smells of wet pavement, citrus pith and a hint of wet wool. Lean, faintly saline flavours of citrus pith and unripe pear mix with a hint of nougat and lemongrass. Drink through 2026. Alder Yarrow. 1/11/25
Dolcetto… 16/20. Fermented with ambient yeasts, one-third destemmed, two-thirds whole cluster. Once the fermentations are nearly complete, the wine is pressed into 32-hl Italian botti for a year before bottling. Natural malolactic conversion. 320 cases produced.
Aromas of cherry, leather and dried herbs. Powdery, mouth-coating tannins surround flavours of cherry, strawberry and dried herbs. Notes of leather and dusty earth mix with a hint of citrus peel in the finish. Excellent acidity. Drink through 2029. Alder Yarrow 1/11/25
Barbera…16.5/20. Smells of black cherry and orange peel. Black-cherry and orange-peel flavours mix with a hint of dried herbs as supple, fleecy tannins coat the palate. Juicy with excellent acidity and even a little salinity. Very appealing. Drink through 2032. Alder Yarrow. 1/11/25
fwiw
2021 Idlewild Barbera
Labrat here reporting from Guatemala while on vacation. Received bottle a day before we were heading out and still needing to pack so had other thoughts on our mind.
Idlewild
2021 Barbera
Lost Hills ranch
Yorkville highlands
Visual
Sediment on the cork and in the glass.
Nose
Some floral rosy notes, tart cherries, sort of a chalky hint.
Taste
Med body, med tannins, has a sour metallic feel to it, wife says has a pop rock fizz feel to it (I didnt sense this), has high acidity. Has a chalky finish to it.
Could benefit from decanting to open it up. Seems like a drink now wine, maybe a few years hold.
I feel silly typing this, but I don’t know how to post photos from my phone to share here. Any help would be appreciated.
¡Gracias por el vino, hasta luego!
@i8dacat From what I’ve heard, you have to turn your phone sideways in order to get the link to be able to post photos.