Which varietals come to mind when thinking about California wine? Those aren't the ones Megan Bell uses in her winemaking,instead focusing on grapes from underrepresented regions and vineyards existing as outcasts on the margins of society. Living and working in the Santa Cruz Mountains,she sources from vineyards in both central and northern California and minimizes additions to her wine that are otherwise common in 'conventional' winemaking.
After graduating from UC Davis as a Viticulture and Enology major at the age of 21,Megan held multiple internships across the US as well as New Zealand and the Loire Valley in France. Sometimes the best lessons learned are what not to do,as some of Megan's experiences left her wondering why vintners opted for excessive manipulation instead of timely harvesting for lower sugar and higher acid.
Her 2017 Sangiovese comes from 19 year old vines,farmed organically and harvested by hand. Fermentation lasted 2.5 weeks,followed by 5.5 months in neutral French oak for one of our favorite Sangioveses of the year.