OUR NEWS

Vinography Unboxed: Week of 4/3/22

By Alder Yarrow April 9, 2022

Courtesy of Vinography, A Wine Blog

“Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently….

Before we take a detour to France, let’s pause for a moment and appreciate someone who has been making wine since 2007, but who most people have never heard of. Winemaker Carlos Caruncho grew up in Cuba where he was born, attended university in Russia, and defected from Cuba at the age of 27. After living in Canada for a year, he crossed the border into America and finally received refugee status in 1992.

That same year he began work as an assistant for [a Burgundy-trained winemaker in Northern California], where he worked for five years. After a stint abroad (tasting rather than Making wine) Caruncho returned to California and took over a 45-year-old abandoned vineyard in the Sierra Foothills, coaxing it back to some semblance of life through organic dry farming under the name Arquils Wines (Carlos’ given name, and the Spanish rendition of Achilles).

Caruncho makes his wines with minimal intervention, using natural yeasts, no racking, neutral oak, no filtering, and no added sulfites, using 50% whole cluster for the white wines. The Sauvignon Blanc Caruncho sent me is one of the more exciting examples I’ve tasted from California in some time. It’s full of electricity and has a wonderful personality. Find some if you can. This will be a producer to watch.”

~ Alder Yarrow, Vinography Blog, author of The Essence of Wine, an award-winning book, called one of the best wine books of 2015 by the New York Times, and author of Sonoma and Marin County chapter of the behemoth, Opus Vino a comprehensive look at the world’s wine regions and their best wines, a finalist for the 2011 James Beard Journalism Awards.

Highlight: Arquils Maestro 2019 California

By Jamie Goode December 14, 2021

Courtesy of WINEANORAK Global Wine Journal

Carlos Caruncho’s story is an interesting one. He was born in Cuba, attended university in Russia, and then defected. First he went to Canada, then the USA in 1991, and received refugee status in 1992. Caruncho then worked for five years for a Burgundy-trained winemaker, making wine in northern California before taking wine chemistry classes at UC Davis and then making his first solo wine in 2007.

A spell in the UK, and then some time in vineyards in Europe followed. Caruncho headed back to California in 2015 where he took over an abandoned vineyard on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, near Nevada City. This gives him 2 hectares of Chardonnay and 2 of Sauvignon Blanc. He supplements this fruit by sourcing grapes from other vineyards. The wines are made in a hands off way with the only addition a bit of SO2 at grape reception and bottling. 

Arquils Maestro 2 2019 California
13.5% alcohol. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Merlot and Cabernet Franc whole cluster, co-fermented with destemmed Cabernet Sauvignon. Sweet, berry fruits on the nose with a nice subtle green fringing. The palate is supple and well balanced with lovely sweet strawberry and red cherry fruit, and a touch of blackcurrant, and also a nice grainy savory dimension. It has some real elegance and lovely balance with fine spicy tannins and nice supple fruit. Finishes with a bit of crunch. Medium-bodied, drinkable and fun, but with a serious side. 92/100

Esther Mobley: There's wine. Then there's natural wine. Then there's 'zero-zero' wine

By Esther Mobley, Wine, Beer, Spirits
Courtesy of The San Francisco Chronicle, August 24, 2021

The number of California's avant-garde, zero-zero winemakers are growing

Natural wine has long occupied the fringe of California’s mainstream wine industry. Winemakers observing this minimalist-intervention philosophy have positioned themselves as an alternative to the establishment, eschewing certain technologies and additives that are commonplace in modern winemaking. It’s won them a lot of fans — seemingly every new restaurant or bar that opens in the Bay Area these days bills itself as a natural wine specialist.

As this philosophy’s popularity grows, more natural winemakers are emerging here. Now, a fringe within the fringe is gaining speed in California, too. These new winemakers abide by a more extreme version: “zero zero” wine, in which they add nothing to the grapes as they ferment. That means no yeast, no nutrients, no acid, no water, no preservatives. Unlike most natural winemakers, who accept some interventions in small degrees, the zero-zero crowd draws a hard line, often explaining their approach with the catchphrase “nothing added and nothing taken away.”

….zero-zero wines [are] being made in California right now that look crystal-clear and taste pristine. Carlos Caruncho, a Nevada City language teacher moonlighting as a winemaker under the Arquils label, makes a classic-tasting Cabernet Sauvignon blend called Maestro…. read more

Rod Byers: Hiding in plain sight — Carlos Caruncho, Arquils Winery

By Rod Byers, Farm to Table
Courtesy of The Union, March 2, 2021

Caruncho started resurrecting the four-acre vineyard in 2018 and opened Arquils Winery (arquils.com) in 2019. He farms organically, intending to morph into farming biodynamically and refers to himself as a non-interventionist winemaker.

I have had occasions over the years to be in big rooms filled with lots of wine people. In my experience, winemakers, while seldom the flashiest, are usually the most interesting, often the most talented people in those rooms.

Highly educated, often in different and sometimes multiple fields, they come to winemaking by choice, not because they can’t do anything else. It’s daunting when you add up the academic skills of any four accomplished winemakers sitting at a card table. Yet they choose winemaking.

Whatever it is, winemaking attracts interesting people.

I just met Carlos Caruncho, a winemaker operating out of the old, Snow Mountain Vineyard on Cement Hill Road just outside Nevada City. First planted in 1978 by Richard Cobden, the vineyard has a long but checkered past.

Caruncho was born in Cuba, speaking Spanish. After high school he enrolled in a Russian student exchange program. He relocated to Oryol, located six hours south of Moscow. He studied Russian Literature and Language graduating with both Bachelor and Master degrees. As part of the exchange, he returned to Cuba to instruct officers in a secret, government-run military school. Finishing that, he worked as the main translator for the Chernobyl Project outside of Havana. That job earned him an invitation back to Russia to work on the Chernobyl Project there.

Heading for Russia, he took off from Havana with a stopover in Gander, Newfoundland. It was there that he asked the Canadian officer on duty for asylum. No small thing, he knew he was facing 25 years at least if he got caught. Fleeing for his life, he ducked behind a column in the airport candy store hiding from the KGB officer in charge who was frantically looking for him. It was only for the final boarding call that the KGB officer reluctantly gave up his search. And there was Carlos, speaking Spanish, Russian, if you prefer, with twelve dollars and no suitcase, asking for asylum. He hadn’t even told his mother he was going to do it. He lived, freezing in Newfoundland for a year, delivering newspapers, waiting for his asylum case to be adjudicated. In 1991 he crossed into America, receiving refugee status in 1992. While living in Atlanta with a cousin, working as a busboy, he visited another Cuban connection in San Francisco. There he journeyed to the Sierra Foothills for the first time. Less than a year after arriving in America he moved to Oregon House in Yuba County.

For a wine story, so far there is not much wine talk. That changed Caruncho worked for five years as an apprentice winemaker. He took wine classes at U.C. Davis, planted a small vineyard, and produced his very first wine in 2007.

In 2008 Caruncho and Eliza, his Oxford-born wife, returned to England to raise their children. There he completed the Level III WSET Wine Education Program, a significant achievement. Plus he traveled extensively, tasting wines all over Europe. It didn’t hurt that by now he was fluent in five languages. They returned to California in 2015, moving to Nevada City as the perfect place to continue to raise their kids. Oh, and then he opened a winery, as a natural winemaker.

You tell me, which part of that story would you want to hear more about?

This is a wine story so let’s stick to that. First, a word on natural winemaking. It is a non-interventionist thing. Do nothing. Add nothing. Take nothing away. Let the wine be the wine.

I’m not a big fan. I have had too many ‘natural’ wines that are stinky, cloudy and fizzy. No rule says you can’t make clean, fresh, fruity natural wines but apparently you don’t have to. Sometimes the odder the better it seems.

We ventured out to Cement Hill where I met Carlos. After walking through the vineyard we turned into his closet-size winery dug into the hillside below the barn. It wasn’t the first time I had been there. I helped plant the original vineyard more than forty years earlier.

We crowded into the tiny space as he dipped into an even smaller barrel room, just one barrel wide, returning with samples of wine. In a word, the wines were delicious. Really. I especially liked the Gypsy Grenache/Syrah blend. The 2019 Tempranillo from David Blitstein’s Chicago Park vineyard is outstanding.

I couldn’t help but wonder. “Do you add yeast, adjust acidity, test the pH? Anything?” Sitting on a wine barrel (no chairs), he shrugged impishly. “No.” Caruncho believes that with the proper care in the vineyard the grapes arrive in the winery with everything they need: add nothing; take nothing away. Make no mistake, he explained. Attention to detail and cleanliness in the cellar are still paramount.

Remarkably in his short career he has been able to get his wines reviewed, all very positively, by some pretty impressive wine people including Master of Wine Jancis Robinson and biodynamic guru Nicolas Joly.

Find out for yourself. Caruncho is planning an open house at the vineyard on May 8. He may be the most interesting guy you will meet all day.

Rod Byers, CWE, is a Certified Wine Educator and wine writer as well as a California State Certified Wine Judge. He is the host of the local television show Wine Talk. He can be reached at rodbyers@pinehillwineworks.com

Our wines tasted with Michael Palij, Master of Wines, on December 29 2020, UK.

In Oxford in 2012, I successfully finished level 2 and 3 of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust with Wine Master Michael Palij. Not too long ago, Michael and I arranged to taste my wines. Together we tried my ‘Arquils’ 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, ‘Gypsy’ (Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon), Tempranillo, Muscat Blanc/Albariño, and  ‘Vilia’ (⅓ Albariño, ⅓ Sauvignon Blanc, ⅓ Muscat Blanc). 

To say I was anxious what reception my wines would have, would be an understatement. Eliza, my best cheerleader and most supportive and loving wife, occupied Michael’s two charming children for the hour he and I spent together. Michael wanted to learn about the viticulture and my personal practices in the vineyard as well as the vinification process for all wines. He became even more interested when I told him that I dry farm my Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Michael was also very impressed that I give most importance to concentration of flavors when it comes to grape production and that I only get a ton of grapes per two acres. 

I remained nervous until the moment Michael tasted my Sauvignon Blanc and said: “Beautiful nose, white peach, elderflower, wet stone, acacia, honeysuckle, candied lemon, no hint of VA, clean, concentrated, very long, camomile, tangerine, pink grapefruit, passionfruit, stunning length.”  I knew then that all was well. Michael confessed later on that he thought of Sancerre when tasting the Sauvignon Blanc. This was a major compliment and made me extremely proud, since I know and love the Loire Valley wines. 

Next, we tasted the 2020 blend of Muscat Blanc with 20% Albariño. This very young and still evolving wine was bottled straight from the barrel (unfiltered, unracked, unfined) three days before I left for the UK with no SO2 addition. The following were his observations ‘tangerine, orange peel, saline, touch phenolic, stone fruit’. This wine will keep on maturing and developing until bottling. I can’t wait to see what other fabulous changes it will have gone through at the end! 

The third wine we tasted was the exceptional cuvee ‘Vilia’ (⅓  Sauvignon Blanc, ⅓  Muscat Blanc and ⅓  Albariño) for which I personally inspected and carefully selected only the best whole clusters. They were then gently stomped and naturally co-fermented for 10 days in the cool cellar (54 degrees) putting it in the category of ‘orange wine’. This is a 100% natural wine with no addition of SO2 at any stage. All varieties come from sustainably kept vineyards within Nevada County. After the 10 days, the fermented must was pressed and left to slowly mature in a stainless steel container. This is a very captivating and unexpected wine experience, which most people find very refreshing and mind opening. Michael shared his tasting notes and said ‘fascinating nose, caramel and toffee’.  With more time this wine will develop an even more intriguing and fascinating scent of hazelnuts, crushed almonds and sherry. 

The next wine to taste was the 2019 ‘Gypsy’ ( 80% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon).

The wine was kept in French oak barrel for 12 months then it was bottled.  I could not anticipate his reaction about this wine. Michael was obviously and unexpectedly blown away by this one. His actual words were ‘Utterly captivating nose, blueberry jam, autumn spice, black cherry, chocolate, liquorice, another fabulous wine, wonderful length, very fine, ripe tannins.  Delicious! He also confessed here that this wine reminded him of Chateauneuf des Papes wines from the Rhone Valley in France. I was positively shocked. I personally had not tasted this wine since after bottling and was as well very unexpectedly impressed. Very proud indeed I was once more. 

Lastly, we tasted the 2019 100% Tempranillo. The wine was kept in a two year old recooped French oak barrel for 12 months until bottling. Michael loved this wine as well and said ‘beautiful, sweet bramble fruit, blackcurrant, plum, wild strawberry, coffee, black pepper, liquorice, nutmeg, cardamom, sweet autumn spice, beautiful length’. After we finished, I asked Michael what wines he would like to keep and he chose the Sauvignon Blanc and the ‘Gypsy’. We went on talking about his origins-Canada- and I mentioned that I lived in Canada for a year after defecting in Gander on my way to Russia. We had  a great talk, which will continue this coming summer with more ‘Arquils’ wines and stories. 

Our wines tasted by Nicolas and Virginie Joly

While still living in England in 2014, I purchased a book called ‘Wine from Sky to Earth..’ by Nicolas Joly’s from La Couleé de Serrant- “https://coulee-de-serrant.com/en/home/ , which I enjoyed reading. Later on, I asked Nicolas if he would signed it for me, which he did. For the last three years, and while working on five different vineyard sites, I’ve been implementing some of the Biodynamic practices, followed and clearly explained by Nicolas Joly in his book. The results have been very rewarding.

Well, last January I sent Nicolas and Virginie Joly two of my wines, a bottle of 2019 Sauvignon Blanc and a bottle of 2019 Gypsy (Grenache/Syrah) I was very excited and nervous that Virginie agreed to taste them. A couple of weeks ago I received the following note from them:

“Dear Carlos,
We have been following your wines—once opened—over 2 weeks, which for me is a great test to see the wine’s life potential while resisting oxidation. The deeper the farming is, the less oenology is needed —which creates good atypical wines—the more the wine shows it's depth. You have been doing a great job, helping the vines to express the originality of the place where they grow!

Keep going! “ -Monsieur Nicolas Joly and Virginie Joly

‘En Vino Veritas’: Nevada City winemaker brings passion for wine to life

THE UNION NEWS for Nevada County

Jennifer Nobles, Farm to Table  | July 28, 2020

While watching Carlos Caruncho siphon wine out of a barrel, one can see that the man is in his element. A slight serene smile crosses his face, and as he sniffs the offering, swirling it around in a large vessel of a glass, his delight is evident.

Caruncho is a winemaker local to Nevada County and has spent much of his life seeking out the idyllic wine. Using sustainable, local grapes and no additives, he seems to have created his ideal lineup which he bottles under the name Arquils.

On his website – arquils.com – Caruncho explains: “Arquils is short for Arquiles (Achilles), my first name. My Achilles heel is the grape juice beautifully fermented and aged. My last name, Caruncho, is from the Latin language, ‘Carum’ (meaning), among other things, loved or lover of, whereas ‘Cho’ in Chinese means Autumn harvest time.”

Growing up in his native Cuba, he remembers distinctly when his mother shared with him a bottle of Bulgarian Cabernet Sauvignon which enticed the young man from his first sip.

“ … there is such a thing as great wine in Nevada County that is accessible to them – wines that are vegan friendly, wines that do not have horrific chemicals or additives. I want them to find that out for themselves and take advantage of it.”— Carlos Caruncho

“At first the label really caught my eye. The label was white and red and we tasted it and I liked it,” he said. “I thought, ‘Wow, this stuff is good!’

“That is my first memory of tasting any wine at all. Then when I came to California my love for wine sparkled even more so I decided to get into the wine business, gently.”

His extensive travels have only further developed his passion for wine and all things vineyard-related. He’s visited 25 countries, lived in a number of them, and even served several stints as a winemaker’s assistant.

Throughout his travels Caruncho has sampled many varietals, but settled on making his own name in wine once he moved to Nevada County with his wife and three children. The terroir, he said, is key to creating what he considers some of the best wine he’s tasted – his own.

“They are not the common California red wine or the cold Chardonnay made with artificial yeast or tons of sulfites, which gets into your head and your brain,” he explained. “The wines express the terroir that they come from and the great variety – the fruit is there telling you, ‘Here I am. This is me.’”

“There is the saying ‘En Vino Veritas’ (which translates to) ‘wine is incapable of lying.’ I think when people taste my wines they can see that they are true to themselves.”

Currently Arquils offers five different varieties: a classic Sauvignon Blanc, the relatively fruity Albarino, Maestro 1 (a blend of 50 percent Tempranillo, 40 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 percent Cabernet Franc), GSM 1 (Grenache 50% Syrah 40% Mouvedre 10% handpicked), and GSM 2 (Grenache 40% Syrah 50% Mouvedre 10% handpicked).

Much of Caruncho’s work takes place at a private vineyard in Nevada City, a four acre parcel of land he manages with loving care while enjoying the sounds of goats and chickens in the distance. He also works with other local growers in Chicago Park,

“I strongly believe that the quality of the wine depends on what happens in the vineyard,” he said. “There’s the saying (that) the wine is in the vineyard and that is absolutely true. You truly take care of the vineyard by not using pesticides or herbicides; just treat them well and give them organic food or even biodynamic preparations, all the time taking care of them. Then the grapes will be of great quality and therefore zero intervention in the cellar takes place.”