Rucksack features wines that exhibit the depth and diversity of the Sierra Foothill Appellation. While our sister winery, Madroña Vineyards, produces 100% estate wines, Rucksack will be scouring the Sierra Foothills for unique examples of fruit expression.
2019 Chardonnay—Lusciously rich with tropical characters, this barrel-fermented Chardonnay is all about the fruit. With just 2% Muscat blended in, the ripe peach and pear are lifted up while the hints of cream and an overall tropical essence fill in everywhere else. And there’s a wonderful acidity on the finish that highlights this Chardonnay’s balance!
2021 Barbera Rosé—This dry, refreshing Barbera Rosé has all the bright red fruit and citrus one needs in a summertime wine. With a blend of 88% Barbera, 10% Grenache and 2% Yellow Muscat, there’s a beautiful marriage between the tart of the Barbera, the aromas of the Grenache, and the luscious tropical of the Muscat. At just 0.18% residual, this wine is definitely dry on the palate and perfect on a warm summer day.
2019 Mountain Nectar—A blend of small-lot Zinfandel, Nebbiolo and Barbera bleed wines as well as 1% Muscat, this Rosé has a complex set of mixed berry fruit and hints of sweet spice. The texture has more body than many Rosés, focusing on an almost unctuous sensation while always enveloping the palate.
2016 Barbera—Mountain-grown Barbera picked at maturity has a plethora of high-tone fruit characters. Black cherry, raspberry and cranberry dominate the aromas and the palate although we at Rucksack embrace the wonderful acidity. The wine is both bold and lively and perfect with great Italian pasta!
2019 Zinfandel—A spicy Zin with great color and a smooth palate, what more could you ask for? Well, naturally farmed (no herbicides), small lot production (96 cases), and a balanced palate make this a Zin to enjoy. Blackberry and dark cherry fruit abound with black pepper and savory spices filling in the edges. Great Zin from a great winery!
2017 ‘The Cache’—A go-to wine at our house, this blend of Bordeaux varieties (51% Malbec, 27% Merlot, 9% Cab Sauv, 8% Cab Franc, 5% Petit Verdot) brings about the bold and the elegant at the same time. We emphasize the Malbec and Merlot both for their softer tannins and dark cherry, plum fruit. The other varieties bring in the complexity of spice and backbone of tannin. Really, a Bordeaux blend off of 40+ year-old vines for $24? That’s crazy!
2016 Seco—For most of us, we think sweet luscious Port when taste Portuguese varieties. But dry dinner wines are more the norm. The 2016 Seco with 41% Touriga Nacional, 33% Tinta Cão and 26% Alvarelhão is a fruit-forward expression, loaded with blackberry and black cherry fruit. With a rustic feel, this big Portuguese red is destined for bolder dishes with family and friends.
2017 Cabernet Franc—We produce our Estate Grown Cabernet Franc from two clones (214 and 623) we chose just for the Rucksack site. This wine is all black cherries with dense fruit and has amazingly dark color. Yet, there’s still an elegance to the palate which is elevated by the softer tannins on the finish. Ageworthy and approachable, this has quickly become our family favorite!
Stay tuned for some new releases coming this summer!
I had your Cache Blend at Placerville Public House. What a delicious wine. Can’t wait to go to the winery and try your other wines….
Thanks Terri! We look forward to seeing you!