Rucksack Cellars
“Rucksack means backpack throughout the world. When I was traveling in Africa, my rucksack was very comfortable. It hugs your back because you have been with it so long", says Proprietor, Paul Bush.
Paul and Maggie Bush founded their winery to showcase the region they love. “Rucksack is about discovering the Sierra Foothills, going on an adventure through its extremely diverse terroir, from the low valley floor to elevations beyond grape-growing,” explains Maggie. “While Madroña Vineyards, our sister winery founded by Paul’s parents, produces 100% estate wines, Rucksack scours the Sierra Foothills for unique examples of fruit expression.”
“We’re uniquely suited for this, because we’ve seen up close just how diverse the Sierra Foothills can be,” says Paul. “At 3,000 feet, in our soil type, the Cabernet is spectacular. A mile down the road, the elevation and soil are possibly best for Barbera. Another mile down, they say Zin is the wine. Everybody’s correct!”
The California Wine Club first introduced Rucksack Cellars to wine club members in 2014, the very year of the winery's establishment.
The fabulous wines we featured:
2014 Sierra Foothills Barbera
- Bronze Medal, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
- Only 784 cases produced
- 100% Barbera
Tasting Notes: Wild raspberry and black cherry intertwine with cranberry and blueberry characters. There is earthiness and a dash tarry notes, but a floral aspect hints to the complexity. Cherry pie fruit and mountain-grown blackberry richness on the entry. The smooth texture is evenly balanced, finishing softly with a dark berry essence.
2013 Sierra Foothills The Cache Bordeaux Blend
- Bronze Medal, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
- Only 761 cases produced
- Final Blend: 39% Merlot, 38% Malbec, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot
Tasting Notes: On the nose, intense cherry with floral notes and blackberry essence, with Merlot and Malbec providing earthiness with hints of cedar. Cherry and tart plum on the entry, with subtle spice and herbal characters that showcase the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The Petit Verdot brings youthful tannins on the finish.
Winemaker's Notes
Barbera: Barbera, a very acidic red varietal, does exceedingly well in sunny but not-too-hot Sierra Foothills. “We’ve learned over the years that producing the most balanced and interesting Barbera comes with multiple harvests," says Paul. “We do a pick that is on the earlier side, where we really get cranberry and raspberry, strawberry, and high cherry characteristics, but also a little bit more acid. Then we’ll do slightly later picks and blend.” The result is a spectacular marriage of the bright, fruit-oriented side of the variety and the dense, brooding essence of California Barbera.
The Cache Bordeaux Blend: What’s in a name? “If you go backpacking, and you hide your food up in a tree, it is called ‘the cache’. It’s a little jewel that you have hidden away.”At Madroña their Bordeaux-style blend is elegant, but for Rucksack’s The Cache, they wanted to create a bigger style. To do this, they used more pressure in the wine press. “There are some really wonderful characteristics that you can get,” says Paul. “I wanted to have a wine that is a pure expression of some of these bolder, more authentic aspects. The only thing I had to worry about then was bigger tannins. The Merlot and the Malbec soften the tannins but also give it this round, cherry character.”
Sierra Foothills
Paul and Maggie Bush
Paul Bush