California

Tessier, Electric Ladyland - California, 2024

Brian Hibbard

— 2 min read
Tessier, Electric Ladyland - California, 2024
Photo courtesy of Tessier Winery

Fast Facts:

Winemaker(s): Kristie Tacey
Region: Arroyo Seco & Clements Hills -> California -> USA
Varietal(s): Albariño, Picpoul, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Grenache & Gamay
Terroir: Gravelly soils across Arroyo Seco and Clements Hills—rocky, well-draining sites that stress vines just enough to concentrate flavors
Serving Temp: 45°F

Kristie Tacey's first career was studying protein pathways in a lab. She published research on the Human Genome Project, the whole nine yards. But after a barrel tasting in Napa, she upended everything. "Science was cool, but it was not my tribe," she says. Her friends were always writers and artists, and wine felt like where science and creativity finally met. Working her way through classic spots like Grgich Hills and Saddleback Cellars, she landed in Santa Barbara County where the scene felt right. There were lots of likeminded folks, and the sustainable wine movement was really hitting hard. In 2012, she started playing with leftover fruit from Martian Ranch, resulting in charming carbonic maceration easy drinkers for herself and friends. That side project became Tessier.

Music runs through everything Kristie makes. Every wine is named after a song in some form, from Aretha Franklin's "Day Dreaming" to this "Electric Ladyland" homage to Jimi Hendrix's "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)". She DJs on KXSF radio on Sundays, and her Tessier Collection playlist is an ever-growing highlight at the Berkeley tasting room. To bring it full circle, Tessier's tagline is "Science as Art" adorably written with a microscope icon logo.

This 2024 super blend of white grapes, unfiltered, with a gorgeous golden hue and tannic grip. Albariño, Picpoul, Riesling, Gewurztraminer are the primaries, plus a splash of Grenache and Gamay for body. Textural dreamland with native yeasts and minimal intervention (of course).

Why'd we pick it?

We love a nerdy winemaker, especially one who's love of art or science to be especially palpable. BUT BOTH?! So cool. She's a scientist at heart who never lost that curiosity, and you can taste both the precision and the playfulness. Plus, all of her wines are very small production. This one only had 300 cases made, oooo la la!

Field Notes

  • Tastes like: Perfectly ripe peach, pineapple, orange peel, lemongrass, and white flowers. Super cool tannic grip, a lil' bran cereal funk on the mid-palate, finishing with honey and tropical fruit.
  • Serve it fridge temp! Pour and then take your time.
  • Food Pairings: May I lean you towards a warm FISH dish?! Like a grilled halibut in a coconut Thai curry. Or your sushi takeout from Gari would be quite the accompaniment. Fatty charcuterie also would be gorgeous.

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