2020 Cruse Wine Co. Monkey Jacket

NEW VINTAGE!  Bringing back Monkey Jacket from Michael Cruse, another young Cali producer who doesn’t own vineyards, and is constantly on the hunt for organic grape sources all over the Bay Area. So, it’s no wonder that he’s innovating and making wine with all kinds of random grapes. Which totally works with his philosophy of making wine for daily drinking, not wine for cellaring. Like this insanely delicious blend, which is 51% Valdiguié from across Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Suisun, plus super old-vine Carignan, biodynamic Petite Sirah, and a North Coast field blend that gets a bit of whole cluster for lift and freshness.

Monkey Jacket (named after a type of jacket worn by sailors, hence the sailboat art) is always the crowd pleaser, the bottle that goes fast in a crowd -- although you might want to stash this tasty nugget away to drink yourself, without sharing a drop, even if you aren’t normally a greedy pig.  The 2020 vintage is fresh and juicy, with bright red fruit, brambly herbs and violets up front followed a crunchy, rhubarb finish.  It feels very cozy and wintry, making a perfect match for February's cold weather stews and braises.