GUN BUN wines
The Gundlach Bundschu Winery (Gun lock bun shoe) has a picture of a gun, a lock, a bun, and a shoe depicted on each cork you pull from the bottle. A fun way to remember how to pronounce the combination of two family names rich in American viticultural history. The winery is the second oldest in California, founded by Jacob Gundlach in 1858, he called it “Rhinefarm”. Jacob purchased 200 acres in Sonoma, about 45 miles north of San Francisco, planting European routestock. In 1868 Charles Bundschu joined the winery, and nearly a decade later, married the eldest Gundlach daughter. The infamous San Francisco earthquake in 1906 destroyed many wine vaults, and family homes, yet the winery continued. Then during Prohibition, the winery was replanted with Pear trees; some grapes were kept, and pressed for sacramental wines. Today, the “Rhinefarm” is still farmed and run by family members. Flanked by the Carneros and Napa regions, Gundlach Bundschu winery produces award winning Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and other varietals, including their famous Mountain Cuvee Red Blend. Currently over 320 acres are sustainable and hand farmed, with special care given to each block of plantings, based on location, soil, exposure to sun, and vine age. In 2009 Gundlach Bundschu received the Bay Area Green Business Certification for their continued commitment to sustainability. Solar panels located on the property handle 100% of the power needed to supply the winery with energy. Cover crops and the introduction of beneficial predators help limit their use of herbicides and pesticides, and the winery boasts a water reclamation facility, as water is a commodity in California.
The wine making process is also hand crafted, sometimes single vineyard blocks make up certain bottlings. The current release of the Mountain Cuvee is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Syrah. Loaded with lush black plum, black berry and creamy cocoa flavors, with accents of smoke and black tea, with a long, juicy finish. The wine spends 14
months in mostly French oak barrels, and will be a great wine for years to come. I give the Gun Bun Mountain Cuvee 3 bones!
We also carry the Gundlach Bundschu Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in all French oak, nearly half the barrels were new. This wine has a tiny percentage of Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec (around 3% each) blended in, and exhibits dark fruit flavors, black currant, dried lavender and tea leaf, with an elegant finish of chocolate and juicy blackberries. Three bones!
