We are psyched to introduce Red Car Wines, the latest addition to our Domestic Portfolio. Founded in 2000 by Carroll Kemp and Mark Estrin with 50 cases of Syrah from a single ton of grapes, Red Car Wines came fresh off the press with a highly scored Syrah, before releasing a value brand called “Box Car” that gained traction and fans all across the country. However, they soon came to realize that neither one of these projects spoke to their true calling: investing in the idea of balance and terroir in California. So in 2004 they recalibrated, and purchased land atop a coastal mountain range on the “True” Sonoma Coast (now Fort Ross/Seaview AVA) with neighbors that include Hirsch, Marcassin, Peay, and others.
And this is where their third, and most important, chapter in life begins.
In the past year, it’s become fashionable to chase cool climate sites in California, such as The Petaluma Wind Gap, North Sonoma Coast, or other small pockets near the Pacific Ocean. What drew us to Red Car is their instinct; the fact that they had made these decisions and had had this focus long before it was in vogue. Their mission became to find appropriate sites for farming, to vinify their wines with minimal intervention, and to create a wine that speaks to a sense of place.
The release of their 2010 Pinot Noirs, Chardonnay and ’08 Syrah represent this newly defined mission and the wines are measuring up to something really special. The 2009 vintage was the first full harvest from the new Estate vineyard; and in the coming years, their estate will provide more and more grapes that promise to yield elegant wines with exceptional balance.
Regards,
Tom
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