The Facebook page for Erggelet Brothers Wine features several harvest photographs taken over the past 3 days.
Erggelet Bros. produces red wine from old-growth vineyards in Oakley, as well as a white wine from the “Cecchini Vyd” in Knightsen.
“Early morning pick for Grenache and Mataro out in the Sand Dunes”
Julian Erggelet works with vineyard owner/farmer Tom Del Barba in caring for several ancient-vine plantings throughout the year.
Much labor has been invested in the “Home Vineyard” (“Urban Edge Farm”) in Brentwood, where new varieties will be added over the next year.
“The first load of 2022 Contra Costa Kerrigan is in the woodie. Beautiful dry farmed old vine off Oakley Road”
Erggelet Brothers Wine
Farming:
- “Del Barba Vineyard”
"The Del Barba Family has been farming vineyards in and around Oakley since the early 1900s. Our good friend Tom Del Barba farms his vineyards in pure Delhi Sand with little intervention and even less water. The old ‘Del Barba Ranch’ on Rose Avenue in Oakley, with its centennial center block of Carignane, Mataro (otherwise known as Mourvèdre), and Zinfandel, is surrounded by a block of ‘juvenile’ 30-year-old Zinfandel. This is where we pick our Carignane and Zinfandel. The fruit for our Rosé comes from this vineyard as well.
"In 2020 we started shifting this vineyard around, grafting some more Mataro on existing rootstock as well as grafting over the first acres to Grenache.
“Tom’s dad, Fred Del Barba, lives just down the road and is a genuine shepherd of his legendary 5-acre block of ancient Mataro. We have been making wine from this block since 2016. We love the small clusters of these hundred-year-old vines and we always stay for Nonna Del Barba’s invitation for coffee and homemade biscotti.”
- “Home Vineyard”
“On the northern side of ‘The Urban Edge’ we converted a patch of ground that has been farmed organically for the past decade to our newest vineyard project. We’ve built up on the organic matter over the past 3 years and planted this field to 9’x7’ 1013-P rootstock in early 2022. We will be grafting on a selection of Malvasia Bianca, Assyrtiko, and Petit Manseng in early 2023 to continue our exploration into the white wines of Contra Costa.”
- “Cecchini Vineyard”
“Julian’s wife Alli (née Cecchini) was born on this farm, and the Cecchini Family had been farming this land in Knightsen for nearly a century before it was sold in 2021. After farming this vineyard organically for the past 5 years, we are working closely with the new owners to maintain these standards. We currently source our Malvasia from this vineyard. Grown in a patch of Delhi Sand x Sandy Loam, this 25-year-old planting continues to stun us each season with its resilience and consistency.”
Erggelet Brothers Wine website:
EDIT
Per a recent Instagram post, Erggelet Brothers now farms the “Ghilarducci Vyd” in Oakley.