2022 Populis, Wabi-Sabi, Red Blend, Richmond, CA

Producer: Shaunt Ougoulian, a Berkeley trained chemist & Diego Roig, raised in a winemaking family in California, both Studied at UC Davis, graduating in 2022, before teaming up to make wine together. They started making wine in the basement of Shaunt’s parents house in Orinda, before their winery in Richmond.Together, they farm 8 ha of vineyards in Sonoma & Napa, producing 2 lines; Les Lunes Wine & Populus, keeping a portion of the grapes for their own production & selling the remainder in order to purchase grapes from areas further north. Populis, is their fresh, playful, lighthearted line made from purchased grapes from their grower partners, historic old vine vineyards in mostly Mendocino county. 

Place: The winery is located in Richmond, while grapes are sourced from vineyards in Mendocino county, Sonoma, Contra Costa & Lodi:

• Hawkeye Ranch, Redwood Valley, Mendocino (Carignane)

• Venturi Vineyard, Mendocino (Carignane & Zinfandel)

• Lolonis Vineyard, Redwood Valley AVA, Mendocino (Zinfandel)

• Marcheschi Vineyard, Alexander Valley AVA, Sonoma (Sangiovese & Zinfandel)

• Hannah Nicole Vineyard, San Francisco Bay AVA, Contra Costa (Grenache Noir)

• Fernow Vineyard, Lodi (Counoise)

Cultivation: Organic & regenerative practices

Varietal: 35% Zinfandel, 30% Carignane, 20% Grenache Noir, 10% Sangiovese, 5% Counoise

Winemaking:  A dynamic blend, made with the intention of enhancing each individual variety, partial whole cluster partial destemmed, some are fermented separately, others co- fermented with native yeasts, various maceration times, some carbonic maceration(some of the Carignan), aged primarily in gallon Flextanks & a portion in neutral oak barrels, bottled without fining or filtration.

Tasting Notes: Plush Tannin – Ripe Fruit – Layered Spice Tones – Chillable