You probably wouldn’t expect to find a wine tasting room in Sonoma Valley which focuses on Italian grapes and traditional spirits, but that’s exactly what you’ll find on the Sonoma Highway in Kenwood, California, at Muscardini Cellars.
Michael Muscardini comes from a traditional Italian family, and periodically spends extended time back in Italy visiting them. Originally a general contractor (which I have to say is a recurrent theme with Sonoma and Napa Valley winemakers and winery owners), Michael was looking for buildable land in Berkley. That’s not an easy thing to come by, so he eventually
found his way to a 35 acre lot in Sonoma Valley. He settled on an 8 acre piece of that plot. Now he was in Sonoma Valley, with land, and of course there was only one thing to do. He planted a small vineyard. That was followed by some studies and winemaking classes. What was a hobby became a full time pursuit, and he now has 17 years as a commercial winemaker under his belt. What you’ll notice if you visit, and get a chance to meet Michael, is that the traditional family values are central here. We spent two hours tasting and talking, and were made to feel at home immediately.
Let’s take a look at some wine.
Sweet Vermouth – this is an homage to Michael’s grandmother, who had a glass of sweet vermouth every night. Here you take some Pinot Grigio as a base, add some 60 brix level wine concentrate and some brandy to fortify, infuse with 26 different botanicals, do all that in some sort of specific order and method, and out pops a delicious cordial with incredible complexity from the herbs, but a smoothness that makes it easy to drink. It’s quite delicious. You can get this in either 375 ml or 750 ml bottles. The 375 ml is $25.
2019 Tesoro – a blend of 52% Sangiovese, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Syrah, this is a variation on a Super
Tuscan. It’s a flagship wine for Muscardini, and this vintage is medium dark ruby in color, with a nose including berries, some plum and a touch of savory from the Syrah. Brisk tannins frame a medium+bodied wine. At first the aromas and flavors are a bit restrained but they open quickly, which we really appreciated later that night at dinner (we brought a bottle of Tesoro with us). This has a nice long finish and is a very enjoyable wine. $56
2018 Sangiovese Alice’s Vineyard – this is made with the Sangiovese Grosso clone, the same used in the world famous Brunello’s from Tuscany. It is made in the same style as its Italian brethren, and would be easy to mistake for Brunello in a blind tasting. Black cherry aromas and flavors are accentuated by leather, with some orange peel notes. Tannins are still brisk, with balancing acid. This is an excellent wine and my favorite of the tasting. $65
2019 Sangiovese Alpicella Vineyards – This wine is more towards amber and garnet than the Sangiovese
juice above. The nose has some complex notes of balsamic and herbs. Acid is brisk, fruit is restrained and the tannins build toward the end. It is very different, and has the feel of an older wine. Very good in that respect. $52
2018 Rancho Salina Cabernet Sauvignon – grapes here are from the Moon Mountain area, and the wine is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. Berry fruit and herbal notes dominate the youthful nose. You get the same on the palate. High tannins and good acid give this the backbone to age effortlessly for decades. Excellent wine, but I would give it some time to really let it start to show what it has. $85
We could go on and on, as there are many more varietals and blends available here. For wine club members there is even a Sagrantino resting in their vault. Club members also get discounts on wine as well as the inside track to wine tasting events and VIP tastings.
There are comfortable tasting areas inside and outside at Muscardini Cellars. Not everything is Italian, and you
can try some very good Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah as well as Sauvignon Blanc. But it is the Italian varietals, the sweet Vermouth and the Grappa that make Muscardini different. You won’t find this combination anywhere else. Guests can choose from several tasting experiences and reservations are suggested.
We greatly enjoyed our time with Michael and the friendly staff at Muscardini Cellars. Towards the end, when the conversation strayed to where we were having dinner that night, Michael suggested a restaurant on Sonoma Square. Within a minute he had them on the phone and arranged a reservation in a very popular restaurant for us that very evening. As we said, we were treated like family.
You can find Muscardini Cellars at 9380 Sonoma Highway in Kenwood. Their website is: https://www.muscardinicellars.com/, and has everything you need to know to arrange and prepare for a visit.
You can read about the previous winery visit from our trip to Sonoma and Napa by clicking here. The next stop is available here.
A votre santé!
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