CWM Club Fourth Quarter 2020

The CWM Wine Club is all about discovery and we love nothing more than sharing our new favorites with you. These are truly exceptional, each in their own way, and are bursting with loads of personality. Each wine has its story to tell, which is also part of the fun... knowing the background of the people who make these handcrafted beauties. Since we are all staying close to home right now, this quarter’s selection is all from producers. Stay safe and stay strong.

The Blackbird 2018 Dissonance from Napa Valley is a delightfully refreshing blend of and Semillon that is simply bursting with lovely aromatics of sweet pear, honey, and subtle grassy notes wrapped in a bright and exceedingly supple texture.

Mendocino is an ideal place for cool climate which gives the Waits-Mast 2016 Oppenlander its combination of effusive burnt cherry, sweet vanilla, cloves and hints of chocolate. We are enamored with this wine! Only 145 cases produced.

Dan Cederquist has a wealth of experience making in Sonoma County. His Rockfish 2016 Zinfandel from the remote and high elevation Rockpile Appellation shows juicy berry character and intriguing layers of sweet caramel character. Only 98 cases produced.

The Portalupi specializes in Italian and their 2018 from the Shake Ridge Ranch in Amador County is quite possibly the best Barbera made in California. Its supple dark juicy berries and mouthwatering acidity are so appealing. Just 630 cases produced.

The harmony and complexity of a Cabernet Blend truly shines when all the components are well integrated. The Double Eagle 2014 is a beautifully balanced and complex Napa Valley wine comprised of 54.5% , 32.5% and 13% . It displays generous, vibrant, rich fruit combined with layers of crème brûlée, cocoa and toasty oak. Just 920 cases produced.

Because Jeff Runquist handles Petite Sirah fruit from Clarksburg so gently he manages to extract luscious, deep dark fruit without the harsh tannins often found in this variety. His 2018 was aged in 100% new French oak and it is a lush and silky smooth showstopper!

To reorder any of these wines, please contact Greg O’Flynn at 415-567-0646 2113 Chestnut Street , CA 94123 or e-mail [email protected]

California Wine Merchant Wine Club Q4 2020

Blackbird 2018 ‘Dissonance’ Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon Napa Valley

Winemaker Aaron Pott’s curiosity in wine began at the age of nine when he ordered a glass of milk in a venerable Parisian bistro. When the waiter responded that “milk is for babies” and produced a glass of watered-down , Aaron quickly realized that wine was a beverage of choice for discerning adults. Studying at UC Davis years later, he delved into all aspects of , including practical application by working part-time in the research lab at Winery. In 1990, Aaron took the assistant position at Newton Vineyard, under then-winemaker John Kongsgaard, who became Aaron’s first great mentor. John introduced him to Frenchman Michel Rolland, the legendary international winemaker and consultant, whom Aaron tried to convince to procure him a position in a French cellar. Rolland soon sent word that he had found the ideal position - winemaker at Château Troplong Mondot, a prestigious property in St. Émilion. Building on that invaluable experience, Aaron then became winemaker of Château La Tour Figeac. In his spare time, he also completed a master’s degree in from the Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, . Aaron worked for nearly six years making wine in France before starting to work with Napa-based Beringer Wine Estates in 1998 as winemaker for the company’s international brands in France, Italy, and South America. Returning to the US, Aaron became winemaker at St. Clement in 2001, then added the winemaker position at Quintessa to his resumé in 2004. Aaron formed his own label, Pott Wines, in 2007, and is dedicated to consulting for a limited quantity of notable producers as well as making wines of his own. Currently, Aaron consults on winemaking projects for such as Krupp Bros. Estate, Quixote, and Joseph Carr, in addition to Blackbird. In November 2012, Aaron was named ‘Winemaker of the Year’ by Food & Wine magazine.

Aaron’s most recent addition to the Blackbird portfolio is a Bordeaux Blanc-inspired white blend called ‘Dissonance’, with the first produced in 2014. The wine is named such because it is in dissonance (but certainly not discord!) with the estate’s original inspiration of producing only red wines. While at Blackbird, Aaron has long worked with farmer Lee Hudson for a variety of grapes (Hudson’s own ‘Pick Up Sticks’ was featured in the CWM wine club last year), but he loves the Sauvignon Blanc parcels they farm together for the Blackbird wines. The soils are complex - classic Carneros clay loam combines with gravel and alluvial deposits from the nearby creek that frames the vineyard, enhanced by additional volcanic mountain sediment from Mt. Veeder that has eroded down the mountain over the millennia. All this combines to create an incredibly special, well-drained site that offers an unparalleled expression of the grape. Aaron ferments the Sauvignon Blanc in a combination of stainless steel and clay amphorae. These amphorae are exclusively produced for Blackbird and are handmade by a blind man in the northeastern Italian province of Friuli. Each vessel possesses its own unique features that coax out a textural impact that is then imparted to the wine, toning down the sometimes brassy notes of Sauvignon Blanc. Further softening any rough edges, Aaron blends in a small percentage of Semillon from the Bavarian Lion Vineyard in Knights Valley. The Semillon is aged in new and used French oak, which adds an unctuous texture as well.

Tasting Notes: Bright aromatics of honeyed citrus and lemon peel greet the nose. Sweet stone fruit of white peach and nectarine highlight the mid-palate, with complementary hints of cantaloupe and lush florals of acacia and orange blossom. The fruit lingers over a wonderfully textured mouthfeel, yet still exhibits a fine, crisp finish.

Only 80 barrels produced 88% Sauvignon Blanc, 12% Semillon Sauvignon Blanc aged in stainless steel and clay amphorae; Semillon aged in French oak (30% new) Alcohol: 13.2%

California Wine Merchant Wine Club Q4 2020

Waits-Mast 2016 Pinot Noir ‘Oppenlander Vineyard’ – Mendocino

Waits-Mast Family Cellars, founded by Jennifer Waits and Brian Mast, is a small-production winery based in the Bayview district of San Francisco. While dating in San Francisco over twenty years ago, the couple took a weekend getaway up north to Mendocino . They loved meeting the locals and were immediately enamored of the small-town feel. Soon enough, they were attending the annual Pinot Noir Festival and sitting in on the event’s technical and winemaking sessions. Jennifer and Brian were bitten by the Pinot Noir ‘bug’, and were thus inspired to follow their own passion for wine. In 2005 they embarked on a journey to craft their own Pinot Noir under the guiding hands of Scott Shapley at Crushpad LLC. The company offered the ability to make wine in quantities as small as a single barrel, from many of the same, high-quality California vineyard sources used by famous wine brands. Jennifer planned to present the barrel package as a Father’s Day gift to Brian after learning she was pregnant. Pleased with the results of their single barrel, which they shared with family and friends, Jennifer and Brian launched Waits-Mast Cellars in 2007. Crushpad provided the couple with production facilities and top-shelf winemaking talent, brokered their contracts with grape growers, and even offered label design and licensing services. In the early years Jennifer and Brian made wine from Russian River Valley and Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County as well as Mendocino, but ultimately decided to focus solely on five different family owned vineyard sources within Mendocino for their wines.

The very first Waits-Mast commercial release of 2007 Wentzel Vineyard Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley was named to the SF Chronicle’s Top 100 list in 2009. Unfortunately, Crushpad ultimately went bankrupt and Waits- Mast had to move their wine production to the ROAR facility (formerly led by well-respected winemaker Ed Kurtzman of previous CWM Wine Club fame). This is where winemaker Shalini Sekhar enters the picture. Shalini, a former musician (she earned a master’s degree in Flute and Piccolo Performance), shifted to a career in wine; which she found married the same combination of art and science that fueled her passion for music. She studied enology and viticulture at Fresno State University, honing her winemaking skills at such industry luminaries as Williams Selyem Winery and Stags’ Leap Wine Cellars. She then became cellarmaster for Copain Custom Crush (now Punchdown Cellars), and also worked at San Francisco’s urban winery Bluxome Street. After joining the team at ROAR as the Custom Crush Winemaker, Shalini started making wine for Waits-Mast in 2013 along with a Russian River-based project called Furthermore (for which she was named 2015 Winemaker of the Year at the SF International Wine Competition). Shalini was also included in the San Francisco Chronicle’s 2019 list of ‘ to Watch’.

The Waits-Mast production has stayed minuscule - hovering around 500 cases total. The source for this bottling, the Oppenlander Vineyard, is well off the beaten path in Mendocino County. The site lies just over eight miles from the Pacific Ocean (as the crow flies) at an elevation of 250 feet. The vineyard sees consistently cool temperatures across the growing season and is harvested later than other regions. This cooler temperature range and coastal proximity can deliver a certain ‘oceanic acidity,’ lending structure and complexity to the wine. The 2016 vintage was the first to be released after the lengthy drought, and the ‘return to the rains’ is exemplified in the freshness present in this cool-climate release.

Tasting Notes: A fragrant bouquet of concentrated blackberry fruit leads into a softly spiced mouthfeel of herbes de Provence and cedar, with a firm yet fleshy core of juicy black cherry developing on the palate. The finish remains well-balanced with textured tannins that enhance the racy acidity of this cool-climate Pinot Noir.

Only 145 cases produced 100% Pinot Noir Aged 16 months in French oak (33% new) Alcohol: 14.1%

California Wine Merchant Wine Club Q4 2020

Cederquist Wine Company 2016 ‘Rockfish’ Zinfandel – Rockpile

Winemaker Dan Cederquist is another esteemed graduate of UC Davis. After receiving his degree in viticulture, Dan started his career at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in 1987, working with industry luminary Warren Winiarski. In 1993, he left Napa to become winemaker at Sonoma’s DeLoach Vineyards. Rather than focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon, Dan was able to specialize in high-end and Pinot Noir, among other varieties. He also was instrumental in growing the business, nearly tripling case production and developing two new production facilities during his nine-year tenure. After departing DeLoach in 2003, Dan was on a summer vacation with his wife and friends and while watching Fourth of July fireworks, inspiration struck - many of the fireworks unfurled in a starfish shape. Given that Dan was born under the zodiac sign Pisces (the fish) and that his college nickname was ‘Swedish Fish’ due to the Scandinavian origins of his last name, ‘Starfish’ seemed like a predestined name for his own . The following year, Dan transformed his Calistoga garage into an officially bonded winemaking facility. Dan’s wife, Anne, an admired artist, designed the whimsical labels for the new brand. The ‘Starfish’ Pinot Noir was his first wine, and he has been producing minuscule quantities of wine under his own label since then. Dan is also the winemaker for Matchbook Wines, a large family-owned winery based in Yolo County just east of Napa Valley. However, the smaller production levels of the ‘Fish’ wines allow Dan to make the wine he wants to make, the way he wants to make it. After the recent addition of the ‘Kingfish’ label (a Cabernet Sauvignon from Knights Valley), total annual production for the ‘Fish’ labels still averages only about 400 cases.

Thanks to his lengthy history in the wine industry, Dan has formed contacts with several very high-end growers. The ‘Rockfish’ label was born in 2012, after Dan was able to start sourcing ultra-premium mountain fruit from the Mauritson Vineyards located atop the elevated ridges of the Rockpile AVA. Rockpile is one of the most well-respected vineyard sites for Zinfandel in all of Sonoma County, known for its beautiful ripening cycle and naturally low yields due to the rocky soils.

The extremely limited ‘Rockfish’ wine - a mere four barrels! - is produced with an unusual barrel regimen. Two of the barrels are French oak, while a third is American oak. This barrel is actually assembled in Santiago, Chile, where it undergoes a lengthy convection-toasting process (traditional barrels are toasted over an open flame). The fourth barrel comes from deep within the Carpathian Mountains in Hungary (Dan believes this region to be the best source for oak in the world). The Trust cooperage, Hungary’s largest barrel-producing company, follows each of their barrels ‘from forest to finish’. Taking a unique approach, the company has introduced the ‘five-star’ barrel produced with staves of varying toast levels. After toasting barrels, they are disassembled. The toasted staves are then mixed and reassembled so that each barrel produced has five levels of toast from light to heavy. This subsequent blended oak leads to a one-of-a-kind mouthfeel on the finished wine.

Tasting Notes: Lush, concentrated blackberry fruit greets the nose, with brambly crushed berries providing additional dark fruit character. Cracked black pepper and spiced oak further enhance the fruit on the palate. Round and expressive, with well-integrated tannins on the polished finish.

Incredibly only 98 cases produced! 100% Zinfandel Aged 19 months in a combination of American, French, and Hungarian oak (25% new) Alcohol: 14.8%

California Wine Merchant Wine Club Q4 2020

Portalupi 2018 Barbera ‘Shake Ridge Ranch’ – Amador County

Portalupi Winery began many years ago in the small town of Healdsburg just north of San Francisco. Tim Borges and Jane Portalupi first met as children in 1957 while attending the same preschool and parochial school (Tim tells us he had such a crush on Jane that he would lie on the grass after school to watch her walk home everyday). Destiny prevailed, they reunited in 2001, and were married. CWM owner Greg O’Flynn has known Tim for over three decades, and has watched him hone his winemaking skills at Cosentino for over seventeen years (after working at Soda Rock Winery while still in high school). With Jane’s background in retail marketing and Tim’s years of experience in winemaking, they decided their talents were the perfect complement to start Portalupi Wines, staying close to home and establishing a tasting room in the heart of Healdsburg.

California’s wine industry is historically rooted in the great Italian immigrants who brought with them not only their spirit of living life to its fullest but also the first cuttings that would establish the love for Italian varieties. Using Jane’s last name to start Portalupi Wines and pay homage to her heritage, Tim & Jane define ‘Cal-Ital’ as a way of living, respecting the old-world Italian traditions yet merging them into the contemporary new-world lives of today. Having traveled to Italy every year for over 25 years, they glean inspiration in ‘la dolce vita,’ and bring that inspiration into each bottle of Portalupi wine.

Relatively few wineries in California are currently working with Barbera, an Italian grape native to the northwestern hills of Piedmont (said to be the third most-planted red variety in Italy). Its characteristics include black cherry and plum fruit with a touch of spice, mild tannins, and a high level of acidity that provides a natural structural element. As one of the best Barbera producers in California, Tim actually produces three different expressions of Barbera that correspond to different old-world styles, with this representation made in the soft, fruit-forward style of Alba. Since the 2014 vintage, Tim has sourced Barbera grapes from one of the most highly sought-after vineyards in California. The Shake Ridge Ranch vineyard in Amador County is meticulously farmed by owner and grower Ann Kraemer, scion of a longtime California farming family, who bought the property with her father in 2001. Ann is often referred to as a ‘winemaker’s grower’ and is considered one of the most venerated vineyard managers in all of California. The vineyard has only been bearing fruit since 2005, relatively young by California vineyard standards, but Ann supplies grapes to a bevy of notable winemakers, including Helen Keplinger, Rosemary Cakebread, Tegan Passalacqua (another member of the CWM alum family!), and Annie Favia and Andy Erickson. It was also the source of fruit for the Gather 2015 Tempernillo featured in our Q4 2019 Wine Club Selection. The Shake Ridge Ranch site is warm and sun-kissed, with a similar climate and soil to the Barbera grape’s original Piedmontese home. The property sits at almost 1,800-ft elevation on the slopes of the Sierra Foothills, overlooking the town of Sutter Creek (home to the beginning of California’s Gold Rush). The combination of high altitude and cool air drainage from the mountains allows temperatures to drop significantly in the evening, with a diurnal shift of up to 60 degrees. This juxtaposition translates to rich fruit flavors, while retaining freshness and acidity, the hallmark of the Barbera grape. Tim uses exclusively Hungarian oak for aging in order to provide warm spices and a compelling texture to the finished wine.

Tasting Notes: This Cal-Ital transplant exhibits layered fruit flavors including black plums, cherries, and fig, with some anise and dried herbs lending depth. The palate is juicy and ripe yet provides the characteristically firm acidity of Barbera. Soft, elegant tannins are integrated on the deliciously compelling finish.

630 cases produced 100% Barbera Aged 16 months in Hungarian oak (50% new) Alcohol: 15.0%

California Wine Merchant Wine Club Q4 2020

Grieve Family Estate 2014 ‘Double Eagle’ Cabernet Blend Lovall Valley, Napa

The man behind Grieve Family Estate, David Grieve, is an entrepreneur operating on many levels - among other commercial real estate venues, he owns the Warfield Theatre space in downtown San Francisco, in addition to pursuing his passion in wine. When David and his wife Kathleen moved to wine country in 2002 and purchased their dream home on ten acres in the Lovall Valley, they knew they’d found a special spot. Accessible only from Sonoma, yet located in Napa, Lovall Valley is an elevated secluded valley situated on the Napa/Sonoma county line - there is a point in the road where Napa Co. is painted to show where the counties actually meet. This cool viticultural region sits at 600 ft in elevation, tucked away between , Carneros, and Mt. Veeder. Part of what drew the Grieves to the property was the neighboring Sauvignon Blanc vineyard. At first, it was the view, but over time they developed a growing fascination with the vines themselves. Both David and Kathleen were wine enthusiasts, but neither had much experience with Sauvignon Blanc. They studied up on the varietal and began to sample from different producers in order to develop their preferred style. During their studies, they discovered that their new home in Lovall Valley, with its elevated exposures, fog-cooled mornings, and gravelly-loam soils, was an ideal spot for growing world-class Sauvignon Blanc. As luck would have it, just two years after they moved to the area, the neighboring vineyard went on the market, and Grieve Family Estate took (literal) root.

In 2008, after several years converting the property to certified organic farming and selling grapes to prestigious Napa wineries, David and Kathleen produced their first wine, the Grieve Family Estate Sauvignon Blanc. Two years later they launched Double Eagle, a Bordeaux-styled blend made from their own estate fruit along with grapes sourced from select valley-floor vineyards in Oakville and Mt Veeder. The name ‘Double Eagle’ refers to an extremely rare golf score of three strokes under par on one hole - fewer than twenty golfers have achieved this feat in the PGA since 1935. David is an avid golfer, and thought the name of this rare feat could also be applied to a wine of rare stature. David then brought on Vance Rose to help make the wine, counting on his wine experience with esteemed local estates like Ehlers and Donum, along with the respected Rosemount Estate in Australia..

The 2014 vintage was the third consecutive year of drought in wine country and consequently the berries were smaller and the yields lower than normal; both factors contribute to a high level of flavor and color extraction. The dominant Cabernet Sauvignon contributes structure, tannins, and cedar to the blend, while the substantial percentage of Cabernet Franc adds signature characteristics of lavender-laced blackberries. Lastly, a small amount of Merlot contributes a lovely fruit character of dusty plums and cherries. The oak aging regimen for Double Eagle is designed to complement the distinctive aromatics of the fruit. French oak barrels are toasted to medium plus levels, which lends a bouquet of spiced crème brûlée. Well-respected French winemaker and consultant Philippe Melka (of Cliff Lede and Hundred Acre fame) now makes the Double Eagle wines. He still favors the final cuvée to be blended early on, giving the wine more time to become fully integrated upon release.

Tasting Notes: This Cabernet-driven blend is full-bodied yet elegantly balanced. The nose exhibits forward aromatics of ripe plums, cherries, and blackberries as the palate gradually opens to include dried herbs and lavender. Notes of cigar box and spiced oak complement the lengthy, expressive finish.

920 cases produced! 54.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32.5% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot Aged 19 months in French oak (68% new) Alcohol: 14.4%

California Wine Merchant Wine Club Q4 2020

Runquist 2018 Petite Sirah ‘Salman Vineyard’ – Clarksburg

Jeff Runquist started his adventure in the wine industry in 1977 when he interned with Seagrams at their Paul Masson Cellars in Madera while studying enology and fermentation science at UC Davis. After graduating in 1980 from UC Davis. Jeff worked as the winemaker for Montevina in Amador County, the Napa Valley Cooperative Winery in St. Helena, and J. Lohr in both San Jose and Paso Robles. After leaving J. Lohr in 1996 and completing an MBA degree at Santa Clara University, Jeff designed and helped construct the McManis Family winery in the small San Joaquin County town of Ripon, where he remains as a consultant in the production of the McManis wines. In the fall of 2006, Jeff purchased a five-acre parcel in Amador County’s Shenandoah Valley. There, he constructed a small winery and tasting room that opened in May of 2008. His wife, Margie, is a partner in the winery, working side by side in winery management, tasting room and wine club operations. Their partnership has certainly paid off in spades: Runquist was voted ‘Winery of the Year’ at the California State Fair, the San Francisco International Wine Competition, AND the Critics’ Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2019! We at CWM are excited to introduce you to this acclaimed winery and its one-of-a-kind wines from heritage sites in .

All but four of Jeff’s wines carry a vineyard designation and the name of the grower on the bottle. A close relationship with growers and a respect for their fruit is revealed in every bottle of Runquist wine. The fruit for the Runquist Petite Sirah has always come from a single vineyard, the Salman Vineyard, in the Clarksburg AVA. Enver Salman and his son, Joe, farm their Petite Sirah vineyard just south of Sacramento on Sutter Island, which is surrounded by levees. Established as an American Viticultural Area in 1985, Clarksburg is marked by its location along the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, which pulls in ocean breezes and creates a cool maritime climate that naturally preserves acidity in the ripening fruit. Petite Sirah, the local ‘heritage grape’, is terrific, with deep color, flavor intensity, and silky tannins. The Runquist fruit always displays a softness of tannin even in its youth, and that is a result of both the vineyard and extremely careful handling of the fruit at the winery. Everything at Runquist from the press to the barrel is gravity flow; no must pumps or mechanical processes that can break or nick the seeds, the source of the astringent tannins frequently found in Petite Sirah. During fermentation in top open micro-bins, the must is gently punched down to saturate the skins for maximum color extraction and tannin backbone, but without the astringency. The wine is aged in 100% new small French oak barrels for about a year, depending on the vintage, then gently filtered and bottled.

Tasting Notes: Lavish French oak leads the way to robust aromatics which feature ripe dark fruits of boysenberry and black berry upfront. Aging in 100% new French Oak imparts notes of mocha, spiced vanilla, and bittersweet chocolate to the mid-palate. Surprisingly silky, gentle tannins are bolstered by toasted oak on the finish.

1,664 cases produced 100% Petite Sirah Aged 12 months in 100% new French Oak Alcohol: 15%

California Wine Merchant Wine Club Q4 2020