California Exploration: Âmevive Wines with Alice Anderson
Website: https://amevivewine.com/
Alice Anderson is making some beautiful, and beautifully labelled wines under her Âmevive label. I caught up with her and her partner Topher De Felice for a tailgate tasting outside the Outward winery in Grover Beach. I’m glad I got the chance to try these wines because they are really good.
In 2015 she did vintage in Central Otago, New Zealand, where she spent some time in the vineyards with Rippon, which she describes as ‘seriously pivotal’. She lived with a French girl there, who encouraged Alice to come to France. She went to the northern Rhône and ended up getting a full-time job at Pierre Gaillard, after working there as an intern. She stayed there from 2015-2017, and says it was hard living as a single girl in her 20s in a stone house in the middle of nowhere, but the access to wines she enjoyed was amazing. She came back to California and started working at Tyler winery, and then had spells at Tribute to Grace and as assistant winemaker at Tatomer. It’s quite the CV.
The first vineyard she took on was Ibarra-Young, which is a 10 acre site first planted in 1971, and has been farmed organically since 1993. She took over farming this site in 2019 and has gone a good distance beyond organics, using biodynamic compost and sprays, and also working with animals. Her goal is to eliminate inputs. In 2024 she took on another 8 acre site, Mira Laguna, which has been farmed organically since its inception.
Winemaking is all in neutral French oak with nothing added save a little sulfur dioxide at bottling.
THE WINES
Âmevive Albariño 2023 Santa Barbara County, California
60% her grapes, 40% sourced. Lovely acidity underpins this fresh, fruity wine with appealing pear and nectarine fruit and good energy, showing high acidity. So bright with nice weight and concentration in the mouth. Good energy here. 93/100
Âmevive Grenache Blanc 2023 Ballard Canyon, California
Textured and refined with nice generosity and appealing pear and white peach fruit, backed up by good acidity. 93/100
Âmevive Sundrop 2023 Los Olivos, Santa Barbara County, California
This is Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier, cofermented, from a 3.5 acre site, farmed organically. Nice freshness and zip with bright pear and cherry fruit as well as a twist of apricot. Good acidity, with some mid palate generosity and nice energy. 93/100
Âmevive Rousanne 2023 Los Olivos District, California
Same vineyard as Sundrop. Lovely aromatics of pear and cherry, with some fine spices. Bright and lively with nice pear and peach on the palate with a twist of lime, tapering with some mandarin on the finish. 92/100
Âmevive Périphérie Ibarra-Young Vineyard 2023 Los Olivos District, California
This is a co-fermented blend of Marsanne, Syrah and Mourvèdre, co-fermented. It’s the outer part of the vineyard that has lots of vigour and big clusters. Vines planted 1971-73. Floral and bright with a fresh red cherry nose, with hints of pepper. Sappy, bright and linear on the palate, this is youthful and fresh with beautiful red cherry fruit. Energetic and pure. 94/100
Âmevive Grenache 2023 Alisos Canyon AVA, California
12.5% alcohol. 75% whole cluster. Massale selection. Herbal and bright with nice energy, showing cherry and raspberry fruit with a hint of pepper. Good freshness and crunch with a juicy, sappy finish and good grip. 93/100
Âmevive Mourvèdre Ibarra-Young 2023 Los Olivos District, California
Planted in 1971. 60% whole cluster. Sappy floral nose leads to a bright palate with nice structure and some juiciness. Some silky hints on the mid-palate and a touch of cranberry on the finish. Very expressive. 94/100
Âmevive Syrah Ibarra-Young 2023 Los Olivos District, California
100% whole cluster. Vines planted 1971. Fresh, supple and energetic. Juicy with nice red fruits and lovely energy. Supple with nice acidity. 94/100
