The wine is called Voleur—French for “thief”—a nod to the idea of respectfully borrowing inspiration from other places and people. Winemaker Phil Plummer modeled this wine after a Bedell Cellars bottling, creating something equal parts science experiment and homage. To build their native yeast culture, the team takes 10 gallons of juice on a “field trip” through the Finger Lakes—gathering wildflowers, fruit, even rocks from local beaches. All of it goes into the bucket, cultivating a wild ferment starter that functions like a sourdough culture, continuously fed and maintained for use in future fermentations. It spends one night on skins before fermenting with the wild culture, then ages 4–5 months in concrete amphora. Super floral on the nose with notes of honey, gardenia, and purple lilac, it carries a medium-bodied palate with grippy apple skin tannins, grapefruit acidity, and a long, captivating finish.
