Blaine June Mountain Vineyard Nebbiolo Fountain Grove District 2019

From the earliest days of his fascination with wine, proprietor and winemaker, Derek Flegal, found himself captivated by the Nebbiolos of Barolo and Barbaresco. Ethereal yet tannic, robust yet transparent, these wines seemed to defy logic and deepen in mystery the more he studied them. Long before he had ever tasted the greats of Piedmont, he was already enthralled, scribbling wide-eyed notes in a Napa Junior College wine class fourteen years ago.

So when the opportunity arose in 2018 to purchase Nebbiolo fruit, something Derek had never planned to make, he couldn't resist. There were no California benchmarks, no handbook on how to approach the variety, no mentors to call upon. He relied instead on intuition and traditional Italian winemaking philosophies: native yeast fermentation, an extended maceration of roughly thirty days, aging in neutral oak, and no sulfur added for the first year. It was a leap of faith that paid off beautifully.

2019 marked Derek's second and, heartbreakingly, final vintage from June Mountain Vineyard. The site was sold the following year and replanted to Cabernet Sauvignon, making this release an irreplaceable snapshot in time. Derek made just 75 cases. In wine math, that's one neutral puncheon and one neutral barrel, in which the wine aged for a dedicated 38 months. In spite of time in the cellar and bottle age, the 2019 remains incredibly fresh and expressive. Intensely aromatic, it bursts with red cherry, pomegranate, and wild strawberry, woven with notes of hibiscus, tobacco leaf, and orange zest. The palate is exuberant and structured, balancing lively acidity and fine tannins with layers of anise, black tea, and rose petal. It's a wine that begs for slow-cooked winter fare or a simple bowl of pasta dressed in olive oil and sage.