2024 Field Recordings "Shucks"

Some fifty years ago or so, in the wilder days of Californian viticulture, someone had the idea of planting pinot blanc in the mountains above Soledad, at the base of the Pinnacles National Monument, at what is known as the La Puesta block. Unfortunately for them, what was planted turned out to be melon de bourgogne (the grape used to make Muscadet in the Loire Valley of northwestern France). Gradually, the vines were replanted with true pinot blanc, and today, the actual vineyard mix is unknown. Field Recordings gets a random assortment, making the proportion of pinot blanc to melon impossible to know from year to year. Theirs is an early pick, which ensures the freshest possible acidity, likely to lean into our idea of classic Muscadet. The wine is aged on its lees until bottling, another nod to Muscadet, to add richness and complexity and retain the crisp texture. Just add oysters!