Brvghelli Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley 2018

“Aliis non sibi clemens.” ~ For others, not for one’s self. 

This is the ethos behind Michael Brughelli’s newest project coming from the Santa Maria Valley. And WOW! How lucky we are to be the beneficiaries of his latest venture, representing the culmination of a full and purposeful career in the wine industry. We at ACME have known Michael through his Scar of the Sea wines for over a decade now and have always admired the passionate and methodical path he has taken along the way. In 2020, he sold his half of the Scar of the Sea brand to longtime business partner, Mike Giugni, to focus fully on his yet-to-be-released, soon-to-be pinnacle moment of his winemaking career ~ Brvghelli Wines. Michael grew up in the Central Valley farming town of Riverdale, where his great-grandfather settled after leaving Switzerland. He went to Cal Poly to study mechanical engineering, before stumbling into an upper-level viticulture class that changed the trajectory of his life. Soon after that, he was double-majoring in wine & viticulture and agribusiness while working at two different wineries as well as offering his services as on-call firefighter/EMT (garnering “Firefighter of the Year” honors twice), something he felt compelled to act on after the tragedy of 9/11. 

After graduating college in 2005, he worked with Don Sebastiani & Sons, spent a harvest in New Zealand, and was hired in June of 2006 as Director of Operations at Ken Volk Vineyards & Winery in the Santa Maria Valley. “I was involved in every nuance, every piece of that business,” says Brughelli, who stayed six years with Volk, the winemaking legend who founded Wild Horse. In 2012, he was hired by the Miller Family, the highly respected stewards behind the legendary Solomon Hills and Bien Nacido Vineyards. This propitious position allowed him to dive deep into the intricacies of the vineyards and the details in grape growing that differentiate the greatest made wines in the world from the rest. This position also gave him the access to work with the world’s most talented winemakers who were sourcing fruit from the family’s iconic vineyards as well as granting him the opportunity to make his own wine, which became Scar of the Sea. 

“That was an incredible learning experience that I am forever grateful for,” says Michael. And it was the impetus for his desire to launch a brand all his own, one based on intention and excellence. With his newly released Brvghelli Wines, he has reached the apex, producing what could unabashedly be declared as some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to be produced in California, if not the world. 

The brand is represented by two animals found in the heraldic crest of the town Lavertezzo, in the Canton of Locarno: the Brughelli family homeland. The lion on the Pinot Noir label equates valor and courage. On the Chardonnay label, the pelican embodies self-sacrifice and charity. As a former first responder, these symbols have influenced Michael throughout his life. 

The stunning debut vintage of Brughelli’s Pinot Noir was harvested in the early morning of September 12th from a few rows of own-rooted vines planted in 1973. ? of the fruit underwent gentle destemming while ? remained whole cluster. After a three-day cold soak at 50°F, the stainless-steel fermenters were naturally warmed to encourage a long native fermentation, laid to rest in 33% new for 20 months, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. A powerful yet graceful wine upon opening, this stunning bottle engages the senses with succulent raspberry, boysenberry, pomegranate, and violets. Hints of dusty chaparral, sandalwood, and pronounced mineral follow with exotic spices. Cerebral yet precise, tension abounds through the mid-palate in a linear yet generous way. The long-lasting finish is complemented with candied red cherry and sea spray. This wine is as sexy as a wine gets. Only 120 cases produced.