Erggelet Brothers - Mataro - Contra Costa County, CA - 2021

This wine is made from 100% Mataro (Mourvedre) grapes sourced from vines over 130 years old. It underwent a 18-day fermentation process in a 3t oak fermenter. Following fermentation, it was aged for 10 months in neutral french oak barrels and an additional 2 months in stainless steel tank. A minimal sulfur addition of 8ppm total was made before bottling in August of 2022. 122cs produced.

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"In an effort to capture the full expression of soil and climate in our wines, we rely on indigenous yeasts from the vineyards to carry out the fermentations. We do not make any additions to the must during the winemaking process and bottle our wines without fining or filtration. With some patience, a good sombrero and German OCD, we farm with integrity and make wine that tells a story of sand, blazing sun, and howling winds off the California Delta. We are Julian and Sebastian Erggelet. Our interest in wine was sparked while sipping leftover Riesling out of Grandfather Erggelet’s goblet as kids. After growing up in southern Germany and coming of age as vinophile dilettantes, we pursued degrees in Philosophy & Economics (Sebastian) and Medicine (Julian). As we moved along these career paths, the focus of our lives gradually shifted from sitting under fluorescent office lights to walking through the vineyards of the Rhine valley with Bertrand Russell in the back pocket and exploring the joys of farming, eating good food, and drinking great wines. While Sebastian went back to school for Viticulture & Enology, Julian completed his medical degree. After this we embarked on a journey around the globe to taste, experience, and assemble the taste buds necessary to make intriguing wine. The learning years saw us working our way through harvests, cellars, kitchens, and many bottles of wine in France, Switzerland, Australia, and Spain. We came to California in 2014 with just enough savings to cover two months’ rent and buy a ‘well used’ Subaru. After gaining invaluable experience at OVID and Seven Stones Winery in the Napa Valley, then Martin Estate in Rutherford and Hannah Nicole Winery in Brentwood, we started making our own wine in 2015. Sebastian is the Associate Winemaker for Grgich Hills Estate in Rutherford. Julian spends his days fixing tractors and farming his vineyard and orchard in Contra Costa County.

Eastern Contra Costa is where Mt. Diablo casts its long shadow over the sand dune vineyards, garlic fields and peach orchards dotted with cookie cutter houses and the occasional cowboy.

The old Italian and Portuguese immigrants planted hundreds of acres of grapes in a landscape that reminded them of the home they left behind, and few are left to tell the story. Today, some of the oldest producing vineyard plantings in California can be found in this area. With respect to the old times and a strong commitment to holistic farming, we farm our vineyard and work closely with other farmers in our community with the same mindset.

The Farm
Julian and his wife Alli run a diverse organic farm project called The Urban Edge in Brentwood, CA. As strong advocates of intentional farming, organic polyculture and quality food, their main focus is on soil building, diverse ecosystems and a healthy triple bottom line.Besides being the home of our new vineyard and winery, they grow 25 acres of delicious mixed stone fruit, 3 acres of mixed vegetables, 1 acres of asparagus a healthy flock of chickens and ducks as well as over a mile of hedgerows and habitat. "