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2021

Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Amazing concentration of wild cherry, strawberry, and mineral notes, with a silky texture and great harmony supported by refined tannins that lead to a long, elegant, and smooth finish.
The foundation of the blend is from Mount Olivet Vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley, at the ranch established by the Rued Family in the 1870s and currently farmed by descendant and octogenarian Richard Rued, with whom little boat winemaker William Knuttel has worked with or over 20 years. Approximately 20% of the blend came from Windsor Oaks Vineyard (now called Notre Vue Vineyard) in the Chalk Hill sub-appellation of Russian River Valley (its slightly more abundant heat providing more backbone to the blend), a vineyard Knuttel has also worked with for well over two decades.
The wines were produced in the style of Burgundy: fruit was completely de-stemmed, leaving whole berries intact, and allowed to cold soak for three days at 50F. Gentle extraction was afforded by irrigation, and the new wines were pressed at dryness after 10 to 11 days on the skins. The final blend was a unique barrel selection. Barrel aging was in 100% French oak, with 35% new oak predominantly from the cooperages François Frères, Damy, and Billon. No fining was employed, and the wine was lightly filtered prior to bottling on August 3, 2022.
Alcohol 14.5%, pH 3.69, T.A. 5.7 g/L

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2020

Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Little Boat

Rich in concentrated black cherry, plum, blackberry and currant flavors build up a velvety, yet firm and powerful finish with fine weight.
Vineyard sources were Rafanelli Vineyard and Peterson Vineyard, farmed by Doug Rafanelli and Fred Peterson respectively, both on the steep hillsides of northwest Dry Creek Valley, high above the valley floor off West Dry Creek Road. The final blend contains 2% each of Cabernet Franc and Malbec, also farmed by Fred Peterson.
The lots were extracted with punch downs, 2x to 3x per day, in small one-ton fermenters, except for the Peterson Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, which was fermented in tank with 2 to 3 pump overs daily. All had extended maceration, with total time on the skins nearly 3 weeks on average. At pressing, only free run portions were used for the blend. Barrel aging was 20 months in 100% French oak, with 25% new oak (mainly from the cooperages Taransaud and François Frères). No fining was needed prior to bottling on August 4, 2022.
Alcohol 14.5%, pH 3.70, T.A. 5.8 g/L.

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FR 555 555 0005.

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2022

Russian River Valley
Chardonnay

Beautiful citrus notes ripple over the palate, leading to a clean and exciting finish. Ready to drink now, but also showing great future with exquisite mineral structure.
Produced in a full-on Burgundian style, it features two vineyards: 74% of the blend is from Windsor Oaks Vineyard (recently renamed Notre Vue), which lies in the heart of the Chalk Hill sub-appellation of Russian River Valley, while the other 25% of the blend is from Square Peg's SP-SL Estate Block in Green Valley, another sub-appellation of Russian River Valley and directly to the west of Chalk Hill near Occidental.
The fruit from both vineyards was whole cluster pressed, and settled juice went directly to French oak for fermentation with native yeasts. The new wines were then stirred every two weeks during the malolactic fermentation that proceeded, and then monthly thereafter. The final blend is a unique barrel selection, with 30% new barrels included from an array of top French coopers, primarily François Frères cooperage. The blend was built in such a way as to make fining unnecessary, and the wine was filtered and bottled in May 2022.
Alcohol 13.9%, pH 3.57, T.A. 5.8 g/L

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2022

Rosé Sonoma County

Little Boat

Elegant, complex, and easy to drink, this beautiful wine was inspired by the freshness and finesse that characterizes the select Côtes de Provence Rosé wines.
While predominantly a Rosé from Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley, this wine was augmented with a dash of Zin from Dry Creek Valley, and a splash of Chardonnay from Sonoma Valley. The Zin adds some backbone to the luscious Pinot Noir fruit, while the Chardonnay fleshes out the finish of the wine and brings its natural acidity completely into balance.
Each lot in the blend was pressed from whole clusters and fermented separately in neutral oak in the cold room. The master blend was built to achieve the desired color, alcohol, acidity, and overall balance.

Alcohol 12.9%, pH 3.41, T.A. 7.1 g/L

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FR 555 555 0005.

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2018

Reserve Pinot Noir Square Peg
Vineyard

Little Boat

Perfect concentration of vibrant fruit and beautifully smooth on the palate, with amazing depth, richness, and length. It has a silky texture and great harmony, balancing acidity and minerality while showcasing the terroir of the area. Fruit is vibrant and complex, with very well integrated oak.
Sourced from Square Peg Estate Vineyard in Green Valley – the westernmost sub-appellation of Russian River Valley. The vineyard is owned and dry-farmed by Brad Alper in the historical growing region near Occidental, CA, on the Sonoma Coast, only a few miles from the Pacific Ocean and its fog and cooling breezes. Winemaker William Knuttel has worked with Brad and this property for over 20 years.
Full-blown Burgundian style, completely de-stemmed, with 4 days of cold soak at 50F. Extraction with irrigation 3x daily, pressed at dryness with a total of 13 days on the skins. Barrel aging was 18 months in 100% French oak, with 50% new oak at medium+ toast from a unique barrel selection (primarily François Frères cooperage). No fining or filtration was needed, and no acid additions (only true acidity from the Sonoma Coast).
Alcohol 14.5%, pH 3.72, T.A. 5.7 g/L

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Speak to a customer care specialist at:

FR 555 555 0005.

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2014

BARQUITO

CURRENT RELEASE

Iniciamos la vendimia por el Tempranillo y, 20 días más tarde, recogimos el Graciano de Montecillo. Toda la uva se transportó refrigerada en pequeñas cajas para preservar su integridad. La fermentación alcohólica se desarrolló en depósitos de acero inoxidable durante 19 días. Tras la fermentación maloláctica, en abril de 2015 realizamos una selección de vinos para la crianza en barricas de roble americano de fabricación propia con una edad media de 4,5 años. Permanecieron en barrica durante tres años, trasegándose por el método tradicional cada 6 meses. En abril de 2018 realizamos el último coupage, que embotellamos en junio de 2018.

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Speak to a customer care specialist at:

FR 555 555 0005.

OUR STORY

About Us

little boat is the fruit of the love of a father for his only son and a bridge between the Old and the New World built on his passion for wine. Son of a Spanish diplomat, José Ignacio Cuenca grew up in New York, London, and Madrid, until he finally established his home in Los Angeles, California. Mateo’s birth in 2008 inspired him to make a wine named after his son, which later became little boat following a drawing that Mateo did as a kid which, not only inspired the creation of this boutique wine, but also forged its soul as an expression of friendship and goodwill. Made by an extraordinary team of vineyard owners, winemakers and sommeliers, and supported by some of the best chefs in the world, little boat wines (little boat, barquito, and Mateo) are a love letter to life.