Winemaker Notes
This complex wine opens with dark jammy fruit notes of raspberry and blackberry that develop into aromas of dark chocolate with a hint of black pepper. The mouth is packed with flavors of red apple, blackberry and plum which lead into the long, rich finish.
The abundance of flavors in this wine makes it ideal for pairing with big flavors. We recommend trying it with Korean short ribs.
Family-owned CRU Winery was founded by long-time friends and entrepreneurs Richard Spencer and Mike Conway. As a long-time wine lover, it had always been a dream of Richard’s to own a winery. In 2003, Richard and Mike purchased land, premium barrels and winemaking supplies to make state-of-the-art wines and began renovations on a building in Madera, California which would become the future home of CRU Winery.
Inspired by the French term cru, which traditionally speaks to a vineyard’s prestige and quality, Richard and Mike began to source grapes from some of California’s finest appellations and CRU Winery was born.
Today, CRU Winery crafts award-winning Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Rhône Varietals and Albariño from prestigious vineyards throughout California’s Central Coast.
CRU Winery is honored to be recognized for crafting high-quality wines that consistently receive 90+ point scores and gold medals from publications and competitions including Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits Magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle. CRU’s history of acclaim is a testament to our talented winemaking team and grower partners.
California is a winemaking colossus; by itself it is the fourth largest producer in the world. Red wine accounts for 56% of the total by volume, and red grapes 63% of total acres planted. In addition, a number of California red wines are heralded as being among the most prestigious and sought-after wines in the world.
While the state’s incredibly diverse geography, soils and microclimates allow for a wide array of styles, the key factor unifying California red wine is the abundance of sunshine and a long, consistent growing season. This leads to well-developed fruit marked both by impressive ripeness and balancing acidity.
The state’s most famous red wine region, of course, is Napa Valley, where Cabernet Sauvignon reigns as king. But California boasts a wealth of other impressive appellations. The much larger and climatically varied Sonoma County also produces world class California Cabernet, along with wonderful examples of California Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.
Fine versions of Cabernet and Zinfandel hail from Paso Robles as well, which is also gaining fame with Rhone varietals like Syrah and Grenache. As for Pinot Noir, terrific examples can be found from AVA’s such as Anderson Valley, Carneros, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills. Wineries in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties are making wonderful Syrahs, and the Sierra Foothill appellations are proving to be an experimental hotbed, with Italian and Spanish varietals employed to great effect.
This of course is a mere sketch. The subject of California red wine is as deep and broad as an ocean, and absolutely a joy to explore!