Bottle of Gundlach Bundschu Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage Reserve

Sonoma Valley

Since 1981, the Bundschu Family has crafted a limited Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve bottling from the most elegant and expressive barrels of the vintage with the designation Vintage Reserve. To keep things interesting, we change the label every vintage, highlighting inspired artists. This current label series was crafted by Chris McNally.

From Vine to Wine

Most of the grapes that make up our Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve wine come from the sections of Rhinefarm at its very highest elevations (150-400 feet) and are grown in a rocky, volcanic soil known as Rhyolite. Standing at 400 feet, as Rhinefarm stretches in the distance, you can see the light, volcanic rock (called tufa) that broke down over millions of years to form the soil.

When we began to plan the Vintage Reserve program more than 30 years ago, we first identified the very best blocks in our estate vineyard and paid extra special attention to those vines. We still care for them painstakingly today. No expense is spared in the farming of these blocks – just the very best berries from the best clusters from the best vines from the best rows from the best blocks are picked and pressed.

Only the highest quality grapes ever have a chance at making it into a Vintage Reserve barrel. The grapes are meticulously sorted using state-of-the-art equipment – you can feel the excitement on the days of harvest when the optical sorter is on the crushpad. There’s no doubt – something special is happening. With the aid of the sorter, our winemaking team selects only the finest grapes, those of the desired shape, color and size, to be pressed and fermented as potential Vintage Reserve.

It doesn’t stop when the wine goes into barrel. From these barrels, winemaker Joe Uhr selects the best ones to create a blend worthy of the Vintage Reserve label.

 

93 Points, Wine Spectator

“Richly fruited, with a broad, caressing wave of mulberry and blackberry preserves rolling through slowly, laced with black licorice and violet notes and coated with a warm, toasty edge on the finish, where an echo of warm earth keeps this honest.” – James Molesworth

 

95 Points, Wine Enthusiast

“This powerful, intense and firmly textured wine waves the flag for great Sonoma-grown Cabernet. It wraps fine-grained tannins around just-ripe black fruit flavors and tempting oak accents of cinnamon, char and clove. Not overly ripe, the wine shows great balance and should expect a long life. Best from 2028-2038.” — Jim Gordon

The Cool Labels

Our Vintage Reserve program bottles vineyard artistry. Since day one, the labels themselves have been just as special as what’s inside the bottle. Artists are commissioned to create unique art for each vintage, in series ranging from odes to ancient winemaking world to homages to our family’s more recent history to images inspired by the very modern.

For the 2019 release, artist Chris McNally honors the refurbished 1953 International Panel Truck, now historical property centerpiece, fondly referred to as “Boss Lady” in this watercolor painting. Learn more about the restoration of Boss Lady HERE.

Label History

Each Vintage Reserve label since the first in 1981 has been the work of an artist. Inspired by Chateau Mouton Rothschild First Growth Bordeaux, Jim Bundschu and the team began with artistic series that focused on a particular concept of art and history. As the program has evolved from over the past four decades, we have explored everything from ancient Greece to an astronaut in space. In your cellar, the result is a collection of one of a kind wines, as beautiful to display as they are to drink.

Click HERE to see all the Vintage Reserve labels since 1981.

specifications

Vintage:
2015
Wine Type:
Red Wine
Varietal:
Vintage Reserve
Varietal Composition:
  • 76% Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 11% Cabernet Franc
  • 6% Petit Verdot
  • 6% Malbec
  • 1% Merlot
Appellation:
Sonoma Valley
Acid:
TA: 0.5 g/100mL
PH:
3.83
Barrel Aging:
  • 20 months
    100% French oak, 65% new
    Taransaud, Quintessence, Ermitage and Demptos
Alcohol %:
14.9%