Baldassari Sonoma Six Pre-order

Meet Matt Michael - one of Sonoma’s biggest talents. In his day job, he’s the head winemaker for Robert Young Estate in Alexander Valley - one of the most famed growers and wineries in Sonoma. And on the side, he runs the family business, Baldassari Wines, with his dad Dom. The name comes from his grandfather, Vicenzo "Jimmy" Baldassari, who emigrated from Italy aged 11 and carved out the American dream. Although Jimmy was a plumber in Chicago, he used to make home-made wine in his basement, using grapes trucked over from California. This inspired Matt to become a winemaker. If you love American wines, get excited. I’ve put together a 6-pack with two bottles each of Matt’s red wines. In the case you’ll get: 2x Baldassari Russian River Pinot Noir 2021 - from the sun-kissed, eastern bench of the valley, the warmth here gives a more exotic Pinot character. Matt builds complexity and layers using three different Pinot clones, wild fermentation and whole bunches - masterful winemaking, basically. This is beautifully vibrant with dark berries, rose petals, herbs and spice, with great depth and structure underneath 2x Baldassari Bennett Valley Syrah 2021 - from the smallest appellation in Sonoma County and right beside Petaluma Gap - the first gap in the mountain after the Golden Gate Bridge. The fog rushes here in the morning, which creates perfect conditions for growing cool-climate Syrah. Think cracked black pepper, lavender, thyme and vivid dark fruit - a guilty pleasure red if there was ever one 2x Baldassari Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 - finally the big dog. I’ll take or leave Cab Sav from Bordeaux, but I honestly think the US does it best. And for me, Alexander Valley quietly beats Napa - this sort of wine is exactly why. From the low benchland on gravelly soil, you get (in Matt’s words) ‘a laser beam of blackcurrant and cassis, and a savoury, earthy and spicy note’. Will age for decades As a WineSpark member, you get these wines for €212.10. Don’t tell the Americans, but if you wanted to buy these wines over there, they’d cost you $378! These wines don’t normally leave Matt's tasting room, let alone California. They're exactly the sort of gems I love discovering for you. Pre-order your case today, and the wine will be delivered around 30th November.