Deux Punx, "Merlot" 2019

Producer Profile: Founded in 2008, Deux Punx have been making wines that in some way complicate or belie the charge of their name: yes they are two ex-punks who have always been properly wine-addicted, but no their wines are not the renegade dogmatically cloudy and intensity-driven beverages you may expect. Rather, ‘Deux Punx’ is more about intuition and instinct, the punkishly pragmatic, the non-over-thinking sincerity that undergirds an honest product. Dan Schaaf and Aaron Olson are also ex-punks as in they have long had and continue to have dayjobs in addition to being winemakers, which, to their minds, makes them gleeful outsiders in both worlds. They just do their thing because they love it and don’t want to give up the stability of their 9-5s for what has for them always been a passion+joy-driven endeavor in making wine. Utilizing the minimialist facilities over in the River East Neighborhood of Napa to keep costs low (they also made a one-off carbonic fermenter from Saran wrap), the pair source their grapes from growers they’ve long admired: organic/biodynamic farmers from small plots around Humboldt County, Lake County, Scribner Bend in Clarksburg, to Suma Kaw and Carneros. Richly original and intuitive with a core of juice-for-juice’s-sake (joy-for-joy’s sake), this is pure California from a couple of happy (ex-)punks!

Vinification: Grapes are purchased from Pyaleh Vineyard in Los Carneros, CA an organic vineyard farmed by the winemakers of Les Lunes (aka Populis). The grapes are destemmed, fermented semi-carbonically for 20 days in stainless steel, and then racked into neutral oak for 10 months of aging. Bottled unfined, unfiltered with just a touch of SO2. 

Tasting: Dark, inky purple in the glass. Medium-bodied and rich with crunchy blue fruits and a hint of tobacco. The nose is rich: vanilla and cola, like an ice-cream float. Upon opening, the palate is full of black fruits and chai and will be best served as an accompaniment to a meal, perhaps a grilled fish or a sheet pan of roasted vegetables. If you have the patience, let it rest and return on day 2. The intense California heat dies down a bit and the juice becomes a little more integrated, soft and fresh. Serve just below room temperature.