Dear Rucksack Club Members,
With the start of the 2019 vintage, the weather has given us rain, snow, sleet and wind. In fact, we’ve had nary a sunny day. So is there any wonder as to why Rucksack, with its outdoor tasting area, would be closed until the sunnier days of May? I don’t think so!
But as we started to think about which wines we planned to showcase in our March Rucksack Wine Club, the potential drought and dryness of California is only a blink away. So one, embrace the wetness of 2019 and the promises it brings. And don’t forget the pinnacle of the recent drought years, which was 2015!
Thus, we’ve chosen two wines for the March Rucksack Wine Club from the 2015 vintage. Sure, we Californians all had to be smarter about water use that year, cutting deep into our reserves and changing our habits for a healthier future (even for the wet years!). It meant smaller yields for the farms and stresses in the vineyards. The one “positive” effect was incredible intensity in the wines of 2015.
With this in mind (and an underlying agenda of keeping the our new drought habits fresh in the consciousness even in wet years!), we’ve chosen to showcase the 2015 Rucksack Cellars Zinfandel and release the 2015 Rucksack Cellars ‘The Cache’ both as pure representations of the vintage.
The ’15 Zin is tasting fantastic. Essentially a ‘Vineyard-Designate’ wine from the Sumu Kaw Vineyards in Pleasant Valley (at 95% picked from that vineyard!), this Zinfandel is bold, rich, extracted and elegant all at the same time. Dark cherry and sweet spice characters abound now with subtle hints of white pepper and molasses. Tasting in its prime, enjoy this wine with spicy black beans, dry-rubbed grilled meats and garlic-rubbed eggplant (on the bbq!). 2015 Zinfandel Rucksack Cellars.pub
The ’15 Cache with is going to knock your socks off. This Merlot/Malbec based blend of Bordeaux varieties is almost lusciously rich with brooding dark berry fruit. Reflective of the vintage, there’s an intensity and extraction in this wine that almost seems like a Spinal Tap’s volume of ‘11’. For those of you not familiar with the “rockumentary”, the density of this wine is pretty much off the charts. Grilled mushrooms, braised short ribs and reduction sauces (with blue cheese!). 2015 Cache Rucksack Cellars.pub
With Rucksack Cellars being all about the outdoors and the area’s natural beauty, we hope you enjoy drinking this Wine Club shipment while remembering the need to conserve water. In fact, you’re doing your job right now by drinking these wines instead of water! Cheers!!!
