Dear Friends,
We’re so excited to share the August club shipment with you – featuring the newest releases of our Bovet Reserve wines. These wines honor our mother’s family who created exceptional wine in the early 1920’s as we carry on this legacy in the Napa Valley.
We are pleased to let you know that we have a new, safe, and sustainable way to ship your wines safely to you. We’re using 100% recyclable DuraTherm inserts, simply toss them into your traditional recycling can when you’ve unpacked your order. If they do end up in landfill, they are made to biodegrade 92% over four years, breaking down the material into organic matter, water, and carbon dioxide. We’re thrilled to have an alternative to traditional Styrofoam that is in line with our sustainability efforts.
Read on to see the results from our June Alzheimer’s fundraising efforts, a harvest update from our winemaker Jeff Plant, and fresh new recipes from our chef!
Our members are extended family, and we deeply appreciate your continued support. We hope you’re enjoying a wonderful summer celebrating life with friends and family!
Ryan MacDonnell Bracher & Miles MacDonnell
Second-Generation Owners
2024 Vintage Update
Our picture-perfect spring weather helped with a full flower set, leading to full clusters. The summer heat helped balance the vines after a wet winter, leading us to have a slightly above average crop this year. Even with the warm summer weather we have had, we’re seeing beautiful acidity and brightness in the grapes.
We kicked off the 2024 harvest picking Chardonnay on Monday, August 5th. The grapes are destined for our Blanc de Blancs and is the first time we’ve picked Chardonnay from our Rutherford Estate for sparkling wine! Last year was a much cooler year with harvest not kicking off until August 21st, this year’s warm weather and ideal growing season brought us back in line with historical timelines.
Typically, when we’re halfway through verasion on our Cabernet, we say we’re about 60 days out from harvest, which would bring us to mid-September if conditions remain consistent. That means harvest for reds will start earlier than in past years, and most of the fruit should be in by the first or second week of October. Of course, this all depends on the weather that’s still to come.
We anticipate high-quality wines from the 2024 vintage and cannot wait to share them with you!
Jeff Plant
Estate Winemaker
Summer Spice Mix - Estate Chili Mix
Created by our Estate Chef, Fernando Arias, this delicious mix will add a little summertime heat to your favorite dishes! Chef Fernando selected specific chilis from the garden, dried them, and blended up this delightful mix with a kick. Due to the freshness of the blend, you might notice a small amount of chili oil seeping through the envelope – that just shows how fresh the ingredients are! This spice mix is an ideal addition to poultry or fish marinades, especially for an overnight cure. Read below for Chef’s favorite Sweet Chili Soy Glaze recipe for more inspiration!
Ingredients: Sweet Paprika, Ancho Chili, Aleppo, California Chili, Urfa Chili, Salt
Summer Recipes
Click below to access some summer recipes from our Estate Chef, Fernando Arias.
Sweet Chili Soy Glaze
This glaze pops with flavor when brushed on seasonal vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, and summer squash before finishing them in the oven or marinate chicken overnight before grilling. Pair it with the 2023 Jannine Bovet Reserve Sauvignon Blanc to balance the soft spice and subtle sweetness of the glaze.
Sweet Chili Soy Glaze
Ingredients
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Round Pond Estate White Wine Vinegar
Juice and zest of one small lemon
Juice and zest of one medium orange
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp Round Pond Estate Chili Spice Mix
DIRECTIONS
- Add soy sauce, honey, White Wine Vinegar, minced garlic, and citrus juices to a small pot
- Set to medium high heat and stir often until reduced to about half the original volume
- Turn off heat and allow to slightly cool, until mixture stops bubbling
- Stir in the citrus zest and chili spice mix
Fig & Black Garlic BBQ Sauce
This is a rich, savory BBQ sauce that works well with dishes like pork belly with braised greens. Pair it with the 2022 Proprietary Syrah to highlight the dark fruit notes of the wine and bring out its inherent rich, umami flavors.
Fig & Black Garlic BBQ Sauce
1 Pint Figs
6 ea Black garlic cloves
½ C Apple cider vinegar
¼ C Brown sugar
1 tsp Ground clove
Salt & Pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
-
- Puree and strain fresh figs
- In a medium sauce pot, combine fig puree and black garlic. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add remaining ingredients and continue cooking 10-15 minutes
- Blend with immersion blender or Vitamix until smooth and allow to cool
- Best enjoyed as you would a savory BBQ sauce! We like to pair with pork belly and braised greens
For more recipes and serving tips check out our blog, aRound the estate!
Your Summer Club Shipment
Summer Wine Selections
Each shipment is unique, click below to learn more about all of the August wines.
2021 Proprietary Right Bank Blend
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc | Rutherford
“The 2021 Right Bank Blend is a potent, structured wine…Dark cherry, plum, graphite, incense and licorice are nicely dialed. There’s tremendous depth and intensity here.” – 94 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
2021 Proprietary Nebbiolo
100% Nebbiolo | Rutherford
This stunning Nebbiolo offers aromas of ripe raspberry, orange peel, and rose petals. Playful notes of cherry, cranberry, and strawberry mingle with its bright acidity, bringing everything to the center of the palate. The fruit lingers with silky, well-integrated tannins leading to a focused finish.
2021 Growers Series Blanc de Blancs
Made in the Méthode Champenoise, this Blanc de Blancs aged en tirage for 18 months before being disgorged. It is beautifully juicy and refreshing, with delicate bubbles and a rich mouthfeel. This pale yellow sparkling wine offers delicate, lacy bubbles in the glass and aromatic notes of pear, lemon zest, and toasty almond. Notes of apple and brioche are balanced with juicy, mouthwatering citrus. Structured with bright acidity and a creamy, long finish, this sparkling wine showcases the beauty of the fruit.
2022 Louis Bovet Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford
This wine embodied a sharp focus on aspects of Rutherford terroir. Stylistically, this wine shows finesse and balance, with dark fruit hints, savory notes and supple, well-formed tannins. This wine is age-worthy and deserving of a place of honor in your cellar and on your table.
2022 Eric Bovet Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville
This wine, sourced entirely from our M-Bar Ranch Oakville vineyard, showcases excellent balance of the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal with the unique microclimate, soil, and terroir of M-Bar Ranch. Stylistically, this wine offers elegance and depth, with red fruit balanced by herbal and earth notes and an exceptionally long finish.
2022 Proprietary Red Wine
35% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Petit Verdot, 12% Cabernet Franc | Rutherford
Our well-loved Proprietary Red Wine is a fruit-forward, juicy wine featuring a mélange of red varietals that thrive here on our Rutherford Estate. The addition of Cabernet Franc brings an added layer of tannin and an herbaceous note that balances the bright red fruit from the other varietals, making this a perfect food-friendly wine.
2022 Proprietary Super Tuscan
55% Sangiovese, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford
One of our most popular blends year after year, the bright fruit notes of the Sangiovese are balanced with the depth of character offered by the Cabernet Sauvignon. A sweet, savory oak note makes a mouthwatering wine with great texture and a satisfying finish.
2022 Proprietary Syrah
100% Syrah | Rutherford
This expressive wine is dark and fruit-forward with notes of blueberry, cassis, and black pepper. Made in the Rhône style, this Syrah offers soft tannins that linger on the palate, leading to a well-textured finish.
2023 Jannine Bovet Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
100% Sauvignon Blanc | Rutherford
This Sauvignon Blanc is made in a ripe, rich, and forward style. The grapes are harvested when the tropical notes are at their peak and fermentation occurs naturally in subtle, water-bent French oak barrels; increasing the richness on the nose and adding layers of complexity.
Our Mission
Join us in the fight against Alzheimer’s
Our Dad and founder, Bob MacDonnell, believed in hard work, kindness, and caring for your people. Although he lost his battle with Alzheimer’s, we aim to honor his legacy and the 50 million people worldwide affected by Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Through dedicated wine sales and innovative programs, we’ve donated over $248,000 for the fight against Alzheimer’s since 2021.
This June, in honor of Alzheimer’s and Brain Health Awareness Month, we donated 10% of proceeds from our Estate wine sales to the Alzheimer’s Association®. Thank you for helping us raise $17,336!
Each September, we participate in the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s with our team, friends, and family. The Napa Valley Walk raised over $123,000 last year, and we’d love for you to join us on September 7th. Click here to sign up to support our team or learn more about our efforts.
Upcoming Events
2024 Events
From release events and blending seminars to exceptional dinners and harvest parties — we hope you join us this year in Napa Valley!