Belong Wine Co., Sunshower, Carbonic Red Wine, El Dorado County 2021

Belong Wine Co. launched in 2017 with just one ton of fruit and an enormous dream shared by proprietors and husband and wife team Bertus and Alli Van Zyl. The brand is a celebration of everything they cherish in life: love, adventure, and a sense of exploration. Bertus is one of those fellows whose lust for life will genuinely give you a contact high! Fresh off earning his degree in Viticulture and Enology at the University of Stellenbosch, he went on to work harvest at Deetlefs Estate and Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons in South Africa before deciding to make Napa Valley his home. Since then, he has held positions at Hess Collection, Chappellet, and Regusci before becoming the Winemaker at James Cole and Tank Garage wineries. His happy place has always been in the vineyards, where he tends to the vines in his signature “short shorts.” Alli has always found great joy in the creative process and is a Jill of many trades. After managing a wine bar in downtown Napa for four years, she transitioned to her current role at Whetstone Wine Cellars, where she gets to wear many hats, including graphic design, hospitality, events, and marketing. And have we mentioned that her smile lights up a room?! The two met in 2010 during Bertus’ first harvest in Napa, but it would be another year before they went on their first date to Bouchon in Yountville when Bertus swept Alli off her feet with his South African charm. That evening, a bottle of 2008 Domaine Tempier sparked their love for Mourvèdre.

A shared love of the great outdoors and the mountains is a pillar in Bertus and Alli’s life together and one that inspires them in many ways but, most importantly, in their winemaking. Each bottle of Belong depicts a memorable hike or exploration of theirs, illustrated by a dear friend, Rohan Etsebeth. They were drawn to El Dorado County after first working with the Mansfield family on their Goldbud property for the debut release of their Mourvèdre. Unique to this AVA is the elevation of its vineyards, with many vines planted between 1,200-3,200 feet above sea level. That common mountain thread seemed like a sign for Bertus and Alli and set the course for them to craft wines to purely express the complex and varying terroirs of El Dorado. Five vineyards make up the blend for the debut 2021 Carbonic Red:  Goldbud, Fenaughty, David Girard, Futernick, and Veerkamp.

Sunshower was an experiment for Bertus as his first attempt utilizing carbonic maceration, and the resulting delicious wine solidified its place in future line-ups for the label. They harvested the five vineyard sites on three different dates at the end of August, with 68% Mourvèdre, 26% Syrah, 3% Grenache, and 3% Cinsault comprising the final pick. 100% of the clusters were kept whole and macerated with dry ice in stainless steel tanks for seven days. The fruit then went directly to press, and native yeast kicked off fermentation. Bertus racked the wine into 100% neutral French oak to finish aging before bottling in February of this year. This wine is a lovely study in the traditional carbonic flavor profile with aromatics of hard raspberry candies and baking spices. On the palate, the complexity continues with black tea leaves, cracked pepper, and perfectly ripe cherries. Sunshower is an outstanding summer red, with bracing acidity that, with a little chill, makes this an easy sipper on those hot days.