2021 Fall Release
Sparkling Chardonnay Solera, Michael Mara Vineyard
Nine years in the making, this is the wine we are the most excited to share this release. What started as the “Intern Project Chardonnay” in 2012 has culminated in a sparkling wine comprised of a blend of every vintage we've produced. In February 2019, we tiraged roughly 100 cases, leaving behind about the same amount to continue the Solera. With over a year and a half in bottle, the wine shows the beautiful autolytic character you'd expect. Meyer lemon tart & almond butter greet you on the nose with a palate of beeswax & tarte tatin, but the wine is driven by the acid & tannin characteristics of the Michael Mara vineyard. This bottle could easily age for 10+ years.
2020 Ellison Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma Mountain
The Ellison Vineyard (formerly the Herron Vineyard) is an acre and a half of Sauvignon Blanc on Sonoma Mountain. Picked on August 23rd, the fruit had the slightest pink hue from the beautiful tinge of Botrytis. With temperatures on the cooler side in late August, we were able to let the fruit mature on the vine. Fermented in the same eight barrels we reserve each year for this wine, the wine fermented over a long period of time, leading to a more complex finished wine. This vintage shows this wine at its best. Tons of tropical fruit & minerality on the nose, which is mirrored on the palate, with loads of acidity. A truly special vintage, drink one bottle now & store another for 5-7 years.
2020 ‘Kierkegaard’ Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg
We originally intended to devote our 2020 Woods Ranch Chenin Blanc to our sparkling wine. We split our picks (August 14 & August 18), but the second pick was a bit more ripe, and so we fermented it in neutral oak barrels. The wine was so good that we decided to bottle it as its own still wine. Bartlett Pear, crushed oyster shell & chive blossom on the nose - it's a crisp, high acid wine but not in the slightest bit lean. Absolutely a wine meant to drink right away, however it will be interesting to see the way the acidity in this wine develops over the years.
2019 Stampede Zinfandel, Clements Hills
Planted in the 1920s within Lodi’s Clements Hills AVA, the Stampede Vineyard is a head trained and own-rooted Zinfandel parcel in the toe-hills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. This vineyard, comprised of decomposed granite, is impeccably farmed by the Perlegos family. It overlooks the old southern embankment of the Mokelumne River to the north, and the Clements Stampede Rodeo to the east. The wine was fermented with its native yeasts with a mix of destemmed and whole cluster open top fermentations. The wine aged in neutral cask for sixteen months. Two puncheons and four barrels were produced.
Logistics
Joining our club is the best way to receive access to exclusive wine releases & shipping discounts. There is no fee to become a Maître de Chai member, only the cost of the wines and shipping (if applicable) for each release.
When you join, you’ll receive our most recent wine club release. If you sign up within a few weeks of an upcoming scheduled release, you will have the option to receive both shipments, or just the upcoming new release. Your card on file will be charged 1-2 weeks before your release is sent or picked up at the winery. Pricing will vary with each shipment as we typically release new MDC wines in the fall and spring.
With our new winery in Berkeley, you’ll have the option to pick up your Fall and Spring release in person. You can select this option upon receiving your release email, so please be sure to add info@mdc.wine to your Contacts.
3-Bottle Shipment
2020 ‘Kierkegaard’ Chenin Blanc
2019 Stampede Zinfandel
2019 Gala Cabernet Sauvignon
$95 plus tax & shipping costs
6-Bottle Shipment
NV Sparkling Solera
2020 ‘Kierkegaard’ Chenin Blanc
2020 Ellison Sauvignon Blanc
2019 Stampede Zinfandel
2019 Massa Cabernet Sauvignon
2019 Gala Cabernet Sauvignon
$201 plus tax & $25 flat rate shipping
12-Bottle Shipment
NV Sparkling Solera
2020 ‘Kierkegaard’ Chenin Blanc x2
2020 Ellison Sauvignon Blanc x2
2019 Herron Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
2019 Stampede Zinfandel x2
2019 Massa Cabernet Sauvignon x2
2019 Gala Cabernet Sauvignon x2
$384 plus tax & complimentary shipping