The People
Family is at the heart of Saracina Vineyards and has been since it was founded in 2001. Today, the Taub family is at the helm, proudly stewarding the land and forging an even stronger foundation of superb quality—wines that give Mendocino its due as an exceptional wine-growing region.
The Taubs’ multigenerational story is deeply rooted in wine. As Marty Taub and his son David were busy building their successful wine import company in the 1970s, a young Marc (David’s son) looked on in fascination. From the beginning, he knew the family business was where he was meant to be, and he built an incredible fine wine portfolio upon Marty’s and David’s foundation. After spending decades immersed in the world’s greatest wines and visiting the famed estates where they were made, Marc’s eyes wandered west to California, and he dreamed of trying his own hand at growing and making wine.
Fate has a way of working these things out. In this case, it led Marc to Mendocino and Saracina Vineyards. This rugged place brims with unspoiled beauty and has been quietly thriving for over a century, thanks to its community of local family farmers—most of whom are generations strong, just like the Taubs. It was this connection and fellowship of family that set things in motion.
Today, as owner and proprietor, Marc’s passion for Mendocino and its promising future is the engine powering Saracina Vineyards through an extraordinary renaissance period.
In keeping with tradition, Marc recently welcomed his son, Jake Taub, to the fold. Together, they’re building the next generation of their family’s legacy and further elevating Saracina Vineyards for the next exciting chapter in Mendocino wine.
The Juice
The grapes were sourced from three vineyards, all organically farmed. The dry-farmed Lolonis Vineyard, planted in 1942 and recognized as the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vineyard in California, provides minerality and austerity in this rendition of Sauvignon Blanc. Chevalier Home Ranch, also in Redwood Valley, is equally austere with a salty component that adds complexity and nuance, with a dollop of Sauvignon Musqué lending a lovely perfume note. McFadden Farms in Potter Valley provides more sauvage, old vine character, and nuance.
The growing season was marked by very low precipitation, with the lowest yields and cluster weights ever recorded. The trade-off, concentration of fruit, was simply astounding. Harvest began at Chevalier on August 30th and wrapped up with McFadden on September 7th.
The grapes were hand-picked, the whole cluster pressed, and the barrel fermented with native yeast in neutral Burgundian barrels. The wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation. Acid levels were brilliantly elevated, and the tiny berries produced excellent fruit intensity and above-average weight. The wine remained on the lees for four months with none of the typical bâtonnage.
The Dirt
Located at Mendocino’s southern end in the bucolic hamlet of Hopland, Saracina Vineyards—a Certified California Sustainable Winery—sits peacefully on 400 hilly acres. To coax the finest wine from this land and to help account for the changing climate, winemaker Alex MacGregor, viticulturist Peter Chevalier, and proprietor Marc Taub set out to ensure only the best varieties for each of the estate’s specific microsites are grown.
After extensive soil analysis and rootstock matching, 13 acres of Bordeaux grape vines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Malbec) were planted, along with more Zinfandel and Alicante Bouschet blocks on the coolest sites. In addition, 20 acres of mixed clone Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay were also put in the ground.
The Taste
Juicy, bold, and concentrated, a glass of this beauty opens with ultra-green apple, oyster shell, wet stone, and lime notes. The palate is spry and fresh like spring, with clean acidity that weaves in and out and leaves you wanting more.
