Let’s set the scene: it’s a hot summer day, you’ve just went for a late afternoon dip, and you’re laying back in your lounge chair and letting the sun beam on your face before golden hour hits. As we slip into the evening and a light breeze starts to pick up, you’re only missing the perfect wine: sexy, luxurious, and a little bit weird. In comes: Acapulco Swim Club, the most delicious orange wine we have ever made here at Tank. This wine is real special. She’s beauty. She’s grace. She’s real complex. But we wouldn’t be sexily lounging by the pool sipping this beauty without some complexities on the way.
The biggest bulk of this sun-kissed conglomeration is our old friend Trousseau Gris from the Fannuchi-Wood Road Vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley. While we are no stranger to this beautiful and rare fruit (only one ten-acre block of this remains in the United States), this is the first time we’ve taken a stab at blending it with some other white grapes. And damn, we’re glad that we did.
The Trousseau Gris was harvested on September 7th and then pressed on September 16th after 9 days of skin contact. We then aged it in Neutral French Oak and blended everything together 6 months later in March. We also took a skin-contact approach to the Grenache Blanc and blended alongside Marsanne, Rousanne, Picpoul, Gewürztraminer and some beautiful Greco di Tufo, which already has a stunning copper/orange color, even when the grapes are sent straight to the press. All together, the rest of the fruit was a glorious mish-mash of grapes from the San Benito Foothills, El Dorado County and Solano County. The result is a gorgeous, fragrant wine with a kaleidoscope of deep orange hues and a medley of aromas in the glass.
This wine is exactly what “orange” wine dreams are made of. On the nose, we get intense citrus notes of orange zest and mandarin. As you take a sip, your palate is coated with an unbelievable explosion of apricot, orange blossom, caramel apple, and pineapple. The flavors and tannins feel remarkably clean and yet, the flavors throw you for a crazy adventure – one that won’t stop till the very last drop. You can pair it with a tuna carpaccio, a lobster gnocchi with Beurre Blanc…but you could easily pair it with your favorite fast food burger, or your confetti birthday cake. Seriously, this wine can go sweet, savory, and any way the wind blows. To get the most out of the flavor and experience, we also recommend taking it out of the fridge about 20 mins before you dive in.
A fun ode to vintage resorts and swim clubs, we love this wine enjoyed poolside or seaside, while you’re laid out on a soft, luxurious towel and listening to some soft, stylish beats, and of course, feeling the glorious sun on your face.