December in Sonoma was a little cooler and more humid than Napa. The morning at Harrington Farm, blanketed by low fog, was busier than ever. Massive trucks lined the winery courtyard, and forklifts moved tirelessly, carting away pallets loaded with wine boxes.
On the surfaces of the boxes, the gold-embossed inscription "Harrington Noctis Ridge Pinot Noir 2007" was stamped clearly. It was the day of the large-scale shipment of "Noctis Ridge," Mark Harrington's flagship wine and the pride of Sonoma Pinot Noir.
"Alright, hustle! The New York and Chicago shipments all have to be loaded by this morning!"
Mark Harrington's bark spread through the crisp air. The winery staff moved in perfect unison, and the quality control team didn't have a moment to spare, inspecting the wood-case packaging until the very last minute.
But beyond the procession of that glamorous flagship product, a small laboratory and miniature aging cellar tucked in a corner of the winery was quiet, as if in another world. There lay twelve oak barrels that Siena had cherished and fussed over since the year before last.
"Geez, did everyone forget about me? No one cares about my wine. Damn..."
Siena, who had been sulking slightly, checked her phone and answered with a smile.
"I'm here."
"Yeah, wait for me."
As if she had never complained, she ran out cheerfully. Arriving at the parking lot by the winery entrance, she saw Armando getting out of his car and broke into a bright smile. The bouquet and several bags in his hands were more than enough to soothe her vexed heart.
"What's all this?"
"Launch celebration gifts. Let's go up and open them first."
"Okay!"
"But you totally look like a winemaker."
Her apron was stained with red wine and dust, yet Armando seemed to see it as a badge of honor, offering praise.
"Do I look a little cool?"
"Yeah, totally."
But once they entered her private aging cellar inside the winery, Armando's brow furrowed slightly. For all that it was the debut of the owner's daughter's first wine, there wasn't a single congratulatory wreath, let alone a proper labeling machine assigned to the place.
"What the heck. Don't tell me you've been attaching them by hand?"
"Everyone's just... busy. But honestly, I didn't absolutely have to release it today. Since it's Noctis Ridge's launch day, there was no need for me to insist on doing mine on such a hectic day too."
"Still... there must be a reason you wanted to release it on this exact date."
"Well... the thought of beating Noctis Ridge, of course. Hee-hee."
Armando marveled at her ambition to dare try to surpass the Harrington Winery's flagship wine.
"Wow... that's the spirit. Though I guess your father's too busy to pay attention."
"That's part of it... My father trusts me a lot, but that trust is about raising me as the winery's successor. When it comes to actually making wine, he absolutely follows the head winemaker Andrew's opinions. So it's only natural that he doesn't trust my experimental brewing this time."
To Mark Harrington, those twelve barrels were still merely tuition fees paid for his daughter's experience. The experimental brewing using non-Saccharomyces yeast was likewise nothing but a dangerous gamble that could turn wine into vinegar to traditional vintners.
From Siena's perspective, the common brewer's yeast *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* boasted excellent alcohol conversion ability, but was somewhat monotonous in terms of aromatic complexity. Thus, she had focused on natural wild yeast strains to create the wine in those twelve barrels.
"That makes sense. He's been here over forty years, right?"
"Yeah. Since my grandfather's time."
"But don't worry. True masterpieces are born in forgotten corners, after all."
Armando comforted her with a gentle voice and held out the box he had brought.
"Here, let's open this first."
"Okay. But what is it?"
"See for yourself. I chose it because I thought it would suit you perfectly."
Siena carefully opened the box. Inside lay the object of desire nearly every woman dreams of: a Chanel Classic Caviar Medium Flap Bag, revealing its resplendent form. The harmony of the silver chain and black leather perfectly matched Siena's image—strong yet delicate.
"Armando... this is too expensive."
"Ha, look at you. I'm a man who can afford this much. There are more than one or two restaurants lined up wanting to buy my vinegar right now."
"Really?"
"Well... there's some exaggeration in that, but it's selling well. Bristol Farms even checked their stock and said they'd place an additional order in January."
"Wow! That's amazing!"
In reality, Solstice Noir was quietly thriving at Bristol Farms. At first, sales hadn't been high because many people balked at the steep price, but rumors about Solstice Noir had spread through high-end restaurants, and bulk orders were now coming in continuously.
Because each bottle was priced as high as a cult-classic wine, Armando's bank balance was growing to the point where he questioned whether this was reality. Thus, spending this much care on his girlfriend was nothing at all.
"Thank you~"
Siena hugged the bag tightly, then gave Armando a kiss on the lips. Smiling like a fool, Armando pulled out another small bag.
"And this is a gift for your mother, Mrs. Eleanor. I just hope she likes our vinegar."
"She'll love it. But Dad will be coming later... what if he says my wine is mediocre?"
"Come on, he wouldn't."
"You haven't even tasted it yet."
"That's true. Then shall we try it first?"
"I've tasted it. Shall I pour you a glass?"
"You have? How was it?"
Siena gave an enigmatic smile and shrugged.
"It's still very lacking."
It was an ambiguous answer, but Armando soothed her, afraid she might be disappointed.
"It's okay. It's your first time. But I'm curious—shall we try it?"
"Sure."
But before she could draw a sample with the wine thief, Mark Harrington entered the lab with quick strides, having roughly finished overseeing the flagship wine shipment. Behind him followed head winemaker Andrew and several directors.
"Oh... my daughter. I haven't been able to pay attention to you, have I? Today is the day your wine is unveiled."
"It's okay. I know you're busy because today's the day Noctis Ridge ships out."
Andrew, the elderly winemaker standing at Mark's side in faded jeans, said with a benevolent smile.
"The young lady's wine is finally making its way out into the world. Congratulations."
"Thank you, Andrew."
"Well then, shall we see how our princess's miraculous yeast wine turned out?"
Mark laughed heartily and held out his glass. Siena filled it from the barrel with trembling hands. But the moment the wine settled in the glass, the air changed.
If an ordinary Pinot Noir bore a translucent cherry hue, Siena's wine displayed a mysterious shade of deep garnet veiled in a violet glow. Mark swirled the glass, puzzled.
"Hm? The aroma... is this what Pinot Noir smells like?"
What greeted Mark's nose was not the typical strawberry or raspberry scent. An intense, crushed floral opulence like ground rose petals, damp forest moss, and above all, wild peach and apricot aromas burst forth in complex layers.
Andrew's face immediately stiffened as he asked,
"How did you do this? Such terpene-class aromas shouldn't be able to manifest this strongly in a Pinot Noir."
Siena smiled and said,
"This? If traditional *Saccharomyces* yeast focuses only on alcohol fermentation, papers say that non-*Saccharomyces* yeasts like *Kloeckera* and *Torulaspora*, which I used, produce enormous amounts of ester and terpene components in the early stages of fermentation. Especially, the enzyme called beta-glucosidase released by these yeasts breaks the aromatic conjugates hidden inside the grape skins, turning components that originally had no scent into volatile aromas."
At the professional explanation, Andrew's eyes wavered. He hadn't expected her to know so much despite practically living in the UC Davis libraries and laboratories. Armando also held out his glass.
"Me too."
After she poured for him, Armando took in the profound aroma, then took a sip and spoke with an admiring face.
"Wow! The flavor... it's like thousands of flowers exploding in your mouth?"
Mark took a sip with a doubtful expression.
"......!"
His eyes widened in an instant. The wine glided across his tongue as smoothly as silk, yet a solid backbone was felt at its core. The acidity was not sharp but softly stimulated the sides of his tongue, and after swallowing, an umami rarely found in ordinary wines lingered long.
"Amazing. There's even a hint of umami at the finish? Is this even possible in Pinot Noir?"
"Likely. The polysaccharides released as the non-*Saccharomyces* yeasts die off grant the wine overwhelming body and texture. They gently envelop the tannins, reducing friction in the mouth."
Andrew, who had been watching silently, also received a glass, smelled the aroma, and tasted it. Then he looked at Mark Harrington, the winery owner, with a face of pure astonishment.
"Mark, this is a wine of a completely different dimension from our Noctis Ridge. This complexity... is an aroma that can absolutely never be created artificially. It is as if the earth itself is singing."
Mark savored the wine once more. He was a veteran who had devoted his entire life to wine. He instinctively realized that this heretical wine his daughter had made had pulled his beloved flagship wine 'Noctis Ridge' down to an ordinary level in an instant.
"Siena... you said you finished the branding too? What's it called?"
Siena held out a bottle she had prepared in advance. On the bottle was a label depicting a fog-shrouded Sonoma forest, along with the name:
L'Esprit Sauvage 2007
"It means 'The Wild Spirit.'"
"The Wild Spirit..."
Mark stared at the bottle intently. He gripped his daughter's shoulder with strength. The dismissive attitude from just moments ago vanished, replaced solely by awe as a wine businessman and as a father.
"Siena, I'm sorry. I underestimated you too much. The barrels we have ready right now..."
Then Siena's expression turned sad.
"The twelve barrels are all there is."
In an instant, Mark and the directors let out collective sighs. Twelve barrels meant roughly a mere 300 cases. It was an utterly insufficient amount to release into the global market. Mark smacked his knee and let out a deep sigh.
"Three hundred cases... that's truly a shame."
The Harrington Winery owned over 200 acres of vineyards. He deeply regretted allowing his daughter merely five tons of grapes from that vast expanse.
"But I asked for just twenty tons back then. I begged and begged, but you only listened to Andrew and said no."
Perhaps remembering that moment, Siena pouted sulkily, and Mark laughed and apologized.
"No... I didn't know the wine would turn out this good. What winemaker in the world produces this level of quality with their very first wine?"
Here, Armando cut in bluntly.
"Brian Choi from Redwood, maybe?"
"......"
Everyone fell silent. A flustered Armando began to blabber.
"I mean that's how well she did. Brian Choi is world-class, right? What I'm saying is, Siena can become that kind of world-class winemaker."
Perhaps if Brian were slightly less renowned, it would have been different, but because he had now truly made a world-class cult wine, deep smiles began to form on the faces of Mark and the others there.
"So you're saying our daughter has talent on par with Brian Choi, the so-called idol of Napa Valley? Heh-heh-heh..."
A smile played at his lips as he stroked his daughter's shoulder.
"Well done. Then starting with the 2009 vintage, I'll allocate a large batch of grapes to you."
"Really?"
"Of course! Naturally. Since you made such a precious wine, I have to support you as much as possible. If we lack grapes, I'll buy them to support you."
Siena, overcome with emotion, threw her arms around Mark.
"Thank you, Dad."
Watching the scene warmly, Armando suddenly asked something that had come to mind.
"Earlier, you said you tasted it first and that it was very lacking. What was lacking?"
At that, Siena grinned slyly.
"It means it's lacking compared to Astra Veil."
"Ah..."
Armando's jaw dropped at the revelation that his girlfriend's ambition was truly aimed at Brian.