Eifrig Cellars LLC

My First Blog Post

Dear Atlas Members

I’ve got an exciting announcement… And, as a fellow Atlas member, I wanted to make sure you heard it first. This is one of my proudest accomplishments. And if you’ve ever read any of my work, you know I wouldn’t waste your time with an e-mail I didn’t feel was worthwhile.

Today marks the release of the first two vintages from Eifrig Cellars.

Yes, I made these wines with my own hands and of course with the help of some of the best winemakers in America. As of today, my Eifrig Cellars Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignons from 2009 and 2012 are available only to Atlas members. Many of you have heard me talk about these wines… And several of you have even had a chance to taste them.

This has been a labor of love for me over the past 10 years. This isn’t a business for me (yet). My goal has never been to make money or “scale up” to produce mass quantities. Rather, I wanted to recreate an old school Cabernet Sauvignon… something that reminded me of Napa winemaking in the 70's and 80's. Those wines beat their Bordeaux contemporaries in blind tastings over and over. Why, because this is exactly the kind of wine I love to drink. It's the wine I'd want to be served if i was at your house.

I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve created. Our grapes are grown in the Dry Creek Valley on 5 acres of ancient riverbeds. The wine’s aged for two or three years - depending on the vintage - in barrels. I used mostly new French Oak but the exact mix is my secret. We also bottle-aged the wine for at least a year or two, like the great Riojas of Spain.

Both vintages came from the same process but they’ve turned out to be very unique wines. The weather each year, different picking times, and other immeasurable factors lend each their own character. Fortunately, both are, if I may say so, superb. Here’s the breakdown from my notes:

The 2009 Vintage: Perfectly balanced, approachable and easy drinking. In fact, in several blind tastings this past year it regularly beat $150 - $300 Bordeaux and Napa Cabs.

The 2009 is drinking near flawlessly and balanced with everything a Cabernet can be: perfectly purple with “legs” that slide down the glass for minutes, hours even. The aromas of milk chocolate, dark fruits – plums and blueberries, soft oak tannins - hints of cinnamon, sandalwood create an ethereal finish that amazes even the non-red wine drinkers in your life.

Seriously, this wine has already converted several wives of friends who NEVER drink red wine – that’s how balanced this wine is. In fact, this wine pairs much better with a quiet night, a few friends, and food.

It’s notably different from… The 2012 Vintage: A wonderful marriage of fruit and barrel notes harmonizing, with a robust mouthfeel, and structure fit for bone-in rib-eyes. And I must confess, I think the 2012 is nearly flawless. Don’t believe me? Ask Porter. He said it’s the best wine he had in all of 2015… And if you’ve ever been to dinner with Porter, you know he does not shy away from dropping serious money on wine.

However, the 2012 is almost too big for a simple steak dinner. I'm not even sure you can drink this without food; it's so big, backboned, and tight. With the 2009, you’ll want to cuddle. With the 2012, you’ll want to get up and swing an ax.

But here’s the challenge with these wines… I didn’t make much. Because both vintages were made in very limited quantities - about 100 cases of each - I'm worried you won't get any...

Like I said, this is a labor of love. I’m not in this for the money. But I want to be able to share my amazing experience crafting these wines with as many other true wine lovers as possible, for as long as possible.

So here’s what I’m doing… If you order either of my Cabernets, I promise that no matter what price my future vintages go for, you can pay today’s price for your own case. I will lock you in for today’s low price for at least the next decade. (We’ll have the right to limit order sizes though, based on the production that year.)

It’s a handshake and commitment between us. You buy my first wine release. I’ll reward you when you come back for more. By the way, Porter thinks these wines will become a lot more valuable in the years to come. I don’t know if he’s right or not. I buy wines to drink, not to invest. But if so, I’ll be able to charge dramatically more in the future than I’m charging today.  But like I said, if you buy either of my wines today, you’ll lock in today’s price for any vintage of Eifrig Cabernet I create over the next decade.

And keep in mind: For right now, this offer to lock in today’s low price is good only for my fellow Atlas members and a few Alliance folks I poured these wines for in Florida. As a fellow Atlas member, I want to give you first shot because I’ve met so many of you in person.

I fully expect this offer could come close to selling out all of my production. If it doesn’t I will open it up to some of my other readers, one week from today. So if you are interested.Here’s the deal. Today you can order either Eifrig vintage for: $110 a bottle, (plus shipping), $600 for a 6-bottle case (shipping included) or $1,200 for a 12-bottle case (shipping included).

Again, this is not a business. We’re not setting up a website or distribution through a store. If you'd like to purchase these wines, here’s what you need to do… First, send me an e-mail stating: which vintage you'd like and how many of each. Feel free to combine both vintages in your case. I’d recommend a 50/50 split. 

The e-mail address is simple:    eifrigcellars@gmail.com

- Second, please send a check along with a note stating which vintage you'd like and how many of each (or put it on the check’s memo line).

- On the note, please list your preferred shipping address, a phone number where I can reach you, and an e-mail address to confirm the transaction.

- Remember to include a check made out to Eifrig Cellars LLC. And send it to the winery at:

Eifrig Cellars, LLC

3451 Airway Drive Suite C

Santa Rosa, California 95403

I wasn’t kidding when I said I wanted to do this ‘old-school’. Like I said, there’s no way to predict this type of thing, but Porter thinks these wines could become cult favorites and eventually fetch thousands of dollars apiece.

Who knows… It's possible. The wines are definitely good enough. I have no doubt about that. But it’s hard to predict which wines will develop a cult following. As you can see, I’m excited about my pet project. I’m back and forth between the East Coast and Napa about once a month these days.

I wanted to share this news with you right away... because who better than my fellow Atlas members to share in the best things life has to offer. And remember, for the next week, this offer is only available to my fellow Atlas members and a few folks I poured these wines for recently in Florida. But one week from today, if there’s any wine that is still not spoken for, I’m going to open this offer up to some of my other readers.

The point is, you have to act fairly quickly if you want to participate.

Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,

de

David Eifrig Jr., MD, MBA