COLOUR
Red
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2022
GRAPE
Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Pinot Gris, Merlot
PRODUCER
Les Lunes Wine
REGION
California
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Medium - Light
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
Medium - High
Finish
Medium - Long
Intensity
Mid - Pronounced
Tannins
Low
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Les Lunes Wine, founded by winemakers Shaunt Oungoulian and Diego Roig, is a pioneering force in the California natural wine movement. Operating out of a cellar built beneath Oungoulian's parents' home in Orinda, the duo stands out by directly leasing and organically farming their own vineyard plots across Sonoma, Mendocino, and Yolo counties. The Cosmic Blend represents a playful, modern reinterpretation of classic California red blends. By combining traditional Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with old-vine Zinfandel and skin-contact Pinot Gris, Les Lunes crafts a wine that challenges the status quo of heavily extracted, high-alcohol California reds. The 2022 vintage is particularly unique due to the inclusion of Pinot Gris, which adds a distinctive aromatic lift and energy to the blend.
ALCOHOL
12.5%
AVG. PRICE
€25
STYLE
Natural
VEGAN
YES
SULPHITES
When to drink
Now or Later
Ideal temperature
12-14°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
Winemakers Shaunt and Diego physically farm all their leased vineyards themselves, a rarity in California's highly divided wine industry.
Fact 02
The winery's first cellar was literally built inside the raised basement of co-founder Shaunt Oungoulian's parents' house in Orinda.
Fact 03
The 2022 vintage is unique for incorporating 14% skin-contact Pinot Gris, giving this red blend an unexpected tropical and floral lift.
FOOD PAIRING
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WINE MAKING PROCESS
The winemaking process for the 2022 Cosmic Blend emphasizes minimal intervention and hands-on viticulture. The grapes are sourced from organically farmed vineyards, with spraying aligned with the lunar calendar. In the cellar, fermentation is 100% spontaneous using indigenous yeasts. To achieve its light, energetic profile, the red grapes undergo an abbreviated maceration, with the majority being direct-pressed to minimize tannin extraction. The Pinot Gris component is destemmed and macerated on its skins for five days before pressing. The different components are aged separately in a mix of high-density polyethylene tanks and neutral French oak barrels to preserve fresh fruit characteristics. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with only a minimal sulfur addition of 18 ppm for stability.
