Reichwage Winery was founded in 2014 by Max Reichwage to fulfill a dream of producing small quantities of classically made Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. Max is the owner and winemaker. Before starting the winery in 2014, Max studied chemistry at the University of Michigan, and viticulture and enology at University California Davis. Max owns Twin Hills Vineyard in Sonoma County and this will be the site of the winery in the not to distant future. In 2014 Max also purchased Mancini Ranch Vineyard which dates back to 1922 and is situated in the Russian River Valley not far from Carlisle Vineyard.
I recently was fortunate to try the newest releases from the winery. A separate review for the 2015 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel will be published in early September.
2016 Reichwage Rosé of Pinot Noir – Salmon color. 13.5% ABV. Pretty nose of flowers, orange rind and cranberries. Fresh and crisp with medium acidity. Strawberry, peach and watermelon on the palate. Delicious Rosé for the end of Summer and Thanksgiving perhaps. $22 at the winery. My rating: 89 points.
2015 Reichwage Pinot Noir Twin Hills Vineyard – Deep ruby red in color. 13.6% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red fruits, pine needle and forest floor. Full bodied with strong acidity. Big, bold and rich. Bing cherries, cranberries, pomegranate and strawberries on the palate. The finish is extraordinarily long and silky. Really nice Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Drink over the next 4-6 years. $48 at the winery. My rating: 92 points.
2016 Reichwage Carignane Mancini Ranch Vineyard – Bright purple in color. 13.6% ABV. Showstopping nose of red and black fruits, pepper and creosote. Medium body with juicy acidity. So young and refreshing yet packed with flavor. Raspberry, blackberry, soil and black pepper on the palate. There are some gritty tannins on an exceptionally long finish. Super Carignane from a heritage vineyard. Give this a year or so in the cellar and drink over the next 4-6 years. $28 at the winery. To be released next week. My rating: 92 points.
Reviews based on samples provided by the winery.
Production at Reichwage is miniscule so you should consider signing up for the mailing list if you want to secure the soon to be released Carignane and Zinfandel.
Max Reichwage was mentioned recently in an amazing article by Esther Mobley. Please read Vintners Rally to Preserve Russian River Valley’s Historic Zinfandel Vineyards.
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