One of our recent winery stops while in the Temecula Valley was Gershon Bachus Vintners. We started the day at Leoness Cellars, which you can read about here. If you leave Leoness and turn left, don’t take your eyes off the left side of the road because you’re going to get to Gershon Bachus in a matter of a minute or two. You will notice a significant difference when you pull in from the road. This is clearly in the desert. Sandy, barren hills stretch before you,
and you’ll wind through them as you ascend toward the winery. At the top you get vistas, with rolling, green vineyards backdropped by earth colored mountains. You also get the villa styled winery building.
Pushing into the cooler inside of the building, you enter a large room. Tastings used to happen here, but now they unfold on the back patio. This is a large covered and uncovered space, looking out over the cascading hills and vineyards. We were there later in the late afternoon, and the sun was setting behind the patio, giving an incredible light to the views.
Late afternoon on the veranda
Of course we were there for the wine though. This is a good place to come if that is your purpose, because you won’t find a restaurant, live music, busloads of tasters or anything else overly commercial. What you’ll find is wine, a laid back atmosphere to enjoy it in and very knowledgable sommeliers who can answer any question you might have. If you’re all about the wine, then this is your place.
Gershon Bachus Vintners was started back in 2005 by owners Ken Falik and his wife Christina. Ken’s grandfather had emigrated to this country from Europe in 1922, and loved life, family, food and wine. That man’s name was Gershon Bachus. While Gershon never realized his dream of owning a vineyard, Ken has fulfilled that family dream.
We had the chance to spend most of our time during the tasting with Ken as things were quiet on a Wednesday afternoon. This was very fortunate for us, as we were treated to stories about the area and the winemaking industry, as well as a lot of really enjoyable conversation. During the same time we had the very big treat of having Howard pour the tasting and educate us about the wines. Howard has been at Gerson Bachus since 2014 and knows everything there is to know about the wines and the winemaking. He is also apparently an accomplished home chef, who will regale you with his suggested pairings for each wine. We found him to be delightful, as did the other tables enjoying their tasting experience nearby.
One very intresting fact about Gershon Bachus Vintners is that winemaker Dakota Denton only uses Hungarian oak. This is something I’ve never seen before. You occasionally run into winemakers using some Hungarian oak, but not exclusively. The wines spend an average of three years in those Hungarian casks, and then another two in bottle.
But what about the wines? There are quite a few, and the tasting will let you sample a range. You’ll find a lot of Rhone varietals, and the reds shine. That’s a good thing, as reds are all they really make here, other than some white wine they have on hand for weddings. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Petite Sirah and others make an appearance. Here’s a run down of the wine we tried and our impressions.
2018 Hesperus Grenache: this is a light cranberry in color, almost the color and tone of red jello. The nose is
bright with light red fruit, as well as some charred oak. It is medium bodied, fairly light in texture with rasberry and spice. There is a lot of complexity here, and it finished very long. This is unusual, and very nice overall. $50
2017 Astraea: the blend here is 60% Mouvedre, 20% Grenache and 20% Syrah. There is some amber at the rim. On the nose you get raspberry, cherry, smoke and some perfume notes. The alcohol here is surprisingly high at 14.6%. The wine is refined, with medium body and an elegance that carries through the entire experience. This is good, and fresh. $65
2018 Villa Vina Rosso: here the blend is 50% Sangiovese and 50% Petite Sirah. Color is a medium ruby. You get more of the red cherry from the Sangiovese on the nose. Bright fruit holds sway thoughout, and some caramel joins in. This has more depth and intensity than the first two wines. It is balanced and will go great with food. $55
2018 Dae Dia Meritage: this is a traditional Bordeaux blend, made up of equal parts of Cabernet Sauvignon,
Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec. Color is a medium cherry red, with a little amber at the edge. The nose brings currant, cherry, spice, orange peel and a little oak. It is just full bodied with good acid, balance and a fresh, long finish. This is a superior wine. It is elegant, bigger than you think at first and still drinks like a fresh, young wine. It will age effortlessly. We didn’t really appreciate how good this was until we opened the bottle we purchased and brought back to our hotel in San Diego. Sitting on the balcony and sipping this was revelational. I couldn’t believe how good it is. $72
2018 Aquilo Act II: a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Tempranillo, which is not something you see everyday, this has a nose of really ripe fruit. It’s almost port like in a way, with some oak and vanilla notes. You can also add some tart cherry. That fruit fades a little toward the end. $70
2018 Erato Estate Cabernet Franc: medium ruby in color, this has a nose of blackberry and orange peel. 
Medium+ tannins and brisk acid frame a long finish. This will age for 20 years, and I would decant if for 1-2 hours before serving now. A very linear and focused wine. $85
Spending some time at Gershon Bachus will expose you to an experience that is wine focused, laid back and relaxing. The wines are different as well, which is refreshing as you go from winery to winery and experience mostly similar profiles throughout this valley. This place is different, and we loved it.
You can learn more on the winery website: https://www.gershonbachus.com/.
A votre santé!
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