The Pouya Estate
- Pouya is a woman-owned, woman-operated boutique production founded and run by Fernanda Parra.
- Fernanda is a Baja native who received her M.S. in enology, ampelology and viticulture after attending university in Montpellier, France. She started her wine career working at the lab at Tenuta Rapitala in Sicily and then worked as a cellar intern at Domaine La Criox Montjoie in Burgundy. Eventually she returned to Mexico work with Camillo Magoni as assistant winemaker at the Magoni Estate. Pouya is her personal project, and it reflects the culmination of years of training and hard work combined with the desire to participate in the expression of her heritage and love for Baja's terroir. The name Pouya is an homage to her great grandfather, a French scientist that fell in love with Baja.
- Pouya makes natural wines with no additions or corrections. They do not undergo filtration or stabilization. Only minimum sulfites are added at bottling - 30 ppm.
- Fernanda sources her grapes mainly from two old vine vineyard sites in Valle de Guadalupe, but she makes one-off wines from a number of additional small wineries. All are organically farmed and harvested by hand. Her two main grape sources are:
Bibayoff Estate - Planted in the 1950s by descendants of the Russian immigrants that were some of the first to establish vineyards in this region, these represent some of Valle's best Chenin Blanc plantings. One of the most emblematic vineyards of the region, the Bibayoff property lies at 1,100 ft, has soil composed to sand mixed with granite and clay marl, and is organically farmed. Perched on the valley’s northern wall, it has great access to water and contains some of the oldest vines in the region, many of which are dry farmed.
Olegario Sandoval Vineyards - Planted in the 1950s approximately 15 miles from the Pacific. The vines are old and gnarled in this dry farmed site that has the sandy soils that grows grapes with very little pigment in the skins. From this site Fernanda makes Grenache three ways: Methode Champenoise Sparkling, Rosé and Red (Tinto), to illustrate the diversity of potential of the grapes from this ancient vineyard.
Total Production: 800 cases, 6 - 8 wines (additional small batch wines made in some vintages)
2022 Remix Pet Nat - Pouya
Tasting Notes and Drinking Window:
Another project that came together on a lark is the 44 case production Pet Nat Remix from Fernanda Parra’s private brand “Pouya”. Refreshing as it is aromatic, this wine is unfiltered, unfined and bottled without the addition of sulfites so it’s putting everything on the table. Soft bubbles, with notes of watermelon, peaches and the slightest refreshing edge of orange peel.
only 44 cases made!
Drinking Window: upon release - 3 years
Vintage:
2022
Blend:
60% Grenache, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 10% Sauvignon Blanc
Producer:
Pouya
Winemaker:
Fernanda Parra - Mexican, lives in Valle de Guadalupe
Vineyards:
Valle de Guadalupe - Anatolia vineyards planted in 2009 at an elevation of 1,000 ft in soils of loamy sand. Ungrafted rootstock.
Winemaking:
All varieties are comingled in the vineyard, harvested by hand, then crushed, destemmed, and direct pressed without any maceration. Fermentation was kept at the lowest possible temperature to slow the process and it was bottled at 1.6 brix. Fermentation completed in the bottle and the wine was aged sur lees for 3 months before disgorging to eliminate the gross lees and filled with the same wine.
Sulfites: no sulfites added
Alcohol:
12.5%
Farming:
Organic, Sustainable
