Belong Barsotti Vineyard Gamay Noir El Dorado County 2023

Belong Wine Co. launched in 2017 with just one ton of fruit and an enormous dream shared by proprietors and husband and wife team Bertus and Alli Van Zyl. The brand celebrates everything they cherish: love, adventure, and a sense of exploration. Bertus is one of those fellows whose lust for life will genuinely give you a contact high! Fresh off earning his degree in Viticulture and Enology at the University of Stellenbosch, he went on to work harvest at Deetlefs Estate and Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons in South Africa before deciding to make Napa Valley his home. Since then, he has held positions at Hess Collection, Chappellet, and Regusci before becoming the Winemaker at James Cole and Tank Garage wineries. His happy place has always been in the vineyards, where he tends to the vines in his signature "short shorts." Alli has always found great joy in the creative process and is a Jill of many trades. After managing a wine bar in downtown Napa for four years, she transitioned to her current role at Whetstone Wine Cellars, where she gets to wear many hats, including graphic design, hospitality, events, and marketing. And have we mentioned that her smile lights up a room?! The two met in 2010 during Bertus's first harvest in Napa, but it would be another year before they went on their first date to Bouchon in Yountville when Bertus swept Alli off her feet with his South African charm and a bottle of 2008 Domaine Tempier Mourvèdre.

Bertus and Alli source all of their grapes from the up-and-coming AVA of El Dorado County, nestled within the Sierra Foothills. This appellation is unique due to its high elevation and complex topography. El Dorado's mountain vineyards perch at elevations high above the valley, where cooling breezes off the Sierra Nevada and the mountainous topography create a diversity of microclimates and growing conditions not found in other regions that share valley settings. Winemaker Steve Edmunds and Grower Ron Mansfield planted Barsotti Vineyard in the early 2000s at 2,800 feet in elevation right outside of Placerville. Their choice for Gamay was ahead of its time, as these were some of the first vines in the area, but the grapes thrived in the granitic soils that mimic the terroir in Gamay's classic, old-world growing region of Beaujolais. Barsotti has become a go-to source for the who's who of up-and-coming California winemakers looking for sustainably farmed Gamay Noir.

Bertus jumped on the opportunity to work with the Barsotti Gamay Noir and into the picking bins, as he chose to foot-stomp the whole grape clusters before fermentation. After the native fermentation, the wine was aged in neutral oak barrels for 8 months before bottling unfined and unfiltered. Spice and citrus aromas like candied orange and Ceylon cinnamon intermingle on the nose and the palate. A delightful acidity refreshes each sip, and the structured, chewy tannins fill through the finish.