WHERE IT’S MADE (65-85)
Eastern Contra Costa County, and specifically the town of Knightsen, is where the Cecchini Family Vineyard is located—and where the Malvasia Bianca for this wine is grown. The soils in this heirloom site (farmed by the same family for nearly a century) resemble a sand dune: Delhi sand is mixed with silty clay/loam. Previously an almond orchard, the 25-acre site is now Certified Organic.

WHO MAKES IT (65-85)
Julian and Sebastian Erggelet grew up in southern Germany, “sipping leftover Riesling out of Grandfather Erggelet’s goblet as kids.” They originally pursued different career paths but gravitated towards wine: Sebastian went back to school to study viticulture and enology and the brothers eventually worked harvests and did winery stages in France, Switzerland, Australia and Spain. They moved to California in 2014 and did stints at wineries including Ovid and Martin Estate before venturing out on their own in 2015.

HOW IT’S MADE (65-85)
As indicated on the label, the wine is fermented on its skins in two 500-liter oak “puncheons” (which produced just 220 cases of wine in the 2021 vintage). This process lends an amber hue to the color and a touch of tea-like phenolic bitterness (i.e. tannin) on the palate—not something typically associated with “white” wine. The wine aged in those (used) barrels for eight months before it was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

HOW IT TASTES (65-85)
This is a true “new release” wine, and it tastes like it—taut and fresh. You might consider holding it for a few months before opening, otherwise decant it 30 minutes before serving. It has a cloudy appearance and typical Malvasia aromas of orange blossom, apricot, mango, and star fruit, along with more savory notes of Kombucha tea, dried flowers, and dusty earth. It is full of tension and minerality right now and will make a fantastic food wine: pair with roast chicken stuffed with lemon and herbs.