
Vintage Reserve
Sonoma ValleySince 1981, the Bundschu Family has crafted a limited Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve bottling from the most elegant and expressive barrels of the vintage with the designation Vintage Reserve. To keep things interesting, we change the label every vintage, highlighting inspired artists. This current label series was crafted by Chuck House.
From Vine to Wine
Named one of the 10 best wines for Fall 2022 by Robb Report, our 2018 Vintage Reserve is truly something special.
Most of the grapes that make up our Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve wine come from the sections of Rhinefarm at its very highest elevations (150-400 feet) and are grown in a rocky, volcanic soil known as Rhyolite. Standing at 400 feet, as Rhinefarm stretches in the distance, you can see the light, volcanic rock (called tufa) that broke down over millions of years to form the soil.
When we began to plan the Vintage Reserve program more than 30 years ago, we first identified the very best blocks in our estate vineyard and paid extra special attention to those vines. We still care for them painstakingly today. No expense is spared in the farming of these blocks – just the very best berries from the best clusters from the best vines from the best rows from the best blocks are picked and pressed.
Only the highest quality grapes ever have a chance at making it into a Vintage Reserve barrel. The grapes are meticulously sorted using state-of-the-art equipment – you can feel the excitement on the days of harvest when the optical sorter is on the crushpad. There’s no doubt – something special is happening. With the aid of the sorter, our winemaking team selects only the finest grapes, those of the desired shape, color and size, to be pressed and fermented as potential Vintage Reserve.
It doesn’t stop when the wine goes into barrel. From these barrels, winemaker Joe Uhr selects the best ones to create a blend worthy of the Vintage Reserve label.
The Cool Labels
Since day one, the labels themselves have been just as special as what’s inside the bottle. Artists are commissioned to create unique art for each vintage, in series ranging from odes to ancient winemaking world to homages to our family’s more recent history to images inspired by the very modern.
Our Vintage Reserve program bottles vineyard artistry. We strive to create labels that are as unique as what’s inside the bottle. From the beginning, artists have been commissioned to create unique art for each vintage. The series ranges from odes to ancient winemaking world to homages to our family’s recent history to images inspired by nature.
Click here to see all the Vintage Reserve labels since 1981.
Label History
Each Vintage Reserve label since the first in 1981 has been the work of an artist. Before Nate Reifke’s most recent series, we offered a culmination of the American Landscape from 2005 – 2010, featuring artists from New Orleans, Chicago, Maine, Santa Fe and the Pacific Northwest. The 2010 label, the final in that series, brought it all back home to Rhinefarm with a depiction of the pair of watusi cattle raised by Jim and Nancy Bundschu right here, alongside top Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Traveling the country to commemorate our winery’s 150th anniversary inspired us to create this series of Vintage Reserve labels celebrating America’s diverse communities and our common passion.
Click here to see all the Vintage Reserve labels since 1981.
specifications
- Vintage:
- 2015
- Wine Type:
- Red Wine
- Varietal:
- Vintage Reserve
- Varietal Composition:
-
- 76% Cabernet Sauvignon
- 11% Cabernet Franc
- 6% Petit Verdot
- 6% Malbec
- 1% Merlot
- Appellation:
- Sonoma Valley
- Acid:
- TA: 0.5 g/100mL
- PH:
- 3.83
- Barrel Aging:
-
- 20 months
100% French oak, 65% new
Taransaud, Quintessence, Ermitage and Demptos
- 20 months
- Alcohol %:
- 14.9%