Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Spotlight, Wineries
Agnitio means recognition and knowledge
Mar
AN-YEE-TSEE-O
THE STORY
AGNITIO, A LATIN WORD MEANING RECOGNITION AND KNOWLEDGE, EXISTS SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF CREATING PREMIUM WINES THAT HONOR THE TRUE SPIRIT OF THE LAND: THE WORKERS. WITHIN EACH VINEYARD ARE ENDLESS STORIES OF DEDICATION, PERSEVERANCE AND A LOVE OF EACH UNIQUE PLOT OF LAND.
“A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, remembers it most obsessively, wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his own image.” ~ Joan Didion
THE MEANING
Recognition
Rising before the sun to harvest grape clusters while they are still cool, vineyard workers are the soul of Agnitio. We rely on their dedication and skill throughout the year; and with Agnitio, we give back. A portion of the proceeds from every bottle funds our Together We GrowTM continuing education program supporting the very workers who tend our vines, pick these grapes, and give them a new life. Agnitio is not the wine of one man, it is the wine of 200 men and women who make it possible.
Knowledge
The team behind Agnitio has been farming these vineyard properties for years. Our roots are in the dirt, and now through Agnitio we are able to show you what these sites are capable of. The members of our team bring education, experience, and knowledge of these vineyards to every vintage of Agnitio. We grow each wine from the earth to the bottle, focusing on elegant, balanced, pure flavors that showcase the history of the grapes.
THE LAND
Sun Chase Vineyard
Fog-shrouded hillsides give way to cool sunlight nearly every morning at Sun Chase, a 42-acre, high-density vineyard. Located at the confluence of where the Petaluma Wind Gap collides with Sonoma Mountain, Sun Chase is perched at an elevation between 900 and 1,400 feet on a southwest-facing hillside. Developed and managed by Atlas Vineyard Managament (AVM), both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are planted at Sun Chase, an area within the Sonoma Coast growing region, quickly becoming recognized for its world-class wines.
Sun Chase has 24 acres planted to Pinot Noir, with four different clones of grapes and 18 acres of Chardonnay growing in soil with largely brown clay loams containing Goulding series and related intergrades of rock.
“these two varietals excel in this region and the quality of fruit is an excellent demonstration of what this vineyard produces.” ~ Winebusiness.com
THE PEOPLE
The Partners
After decades of cultivating the Napa Valley’s most celebrated industry, the Belli and Cybulski families created Agnitio Wines to pay tribute to the land and honor their devoted farming team. From Chardonnay to Cabernet Sauvignon, the partners are dedicated to making wines that reflect the unique character and quality of the vineyard sites they farm.
Diana Gelow Cybulski and Diane Messner Belli both grew up in California’s Napa Valley, while their husbands Mike Cybulski and Barry Belli have each spent more than 15 years working with premium wine and grapes. The families created the Together We GrowTM scholarship fund to give back to the farm workers and their families as well as cultivate future leaders of the wine industry.
The partners prize stewardship of the land in an effort to create a better future for the next generation of Napa Valley farmers: their children.
Winemaker – Alexandre Remy
Winemaker Alexandre Remy joined Agnitio in January 2014 with a background in science and winemaking experience that spans three continents.
Hailing from Rennes, France, Remy holds a master’s degree in food science from the University of Montpellier. His desire to make wine took him to Marlborough, New Zealand, France’s Northern Rhone region, Victoria, Australia and California’s Napa Valley. Most recently Remy worked as a wine consultant for Vively’s USA, where he consulted for winery clients looking to improve their wine production and quality control. His tasks included calibrating wines through tasting and identifying native yeast strains with potential for good wine fermentations.
Through his position with Agnitio, Remy hopes to demystify winemaking for the public. “I want people to understand wines and how to chose between them, making wine approachable.” Remy embraces a winemaking style that showcases the elegance and finesse of each vineyard and vintage. “There is no such thing as making wine by recipe,” he says. “A chef can express his artistic side, and as a winemaker that is what I want to do.”
As part of this, Remy is constantly experimenting with traditional winemaking styles, some of which are “things people don’t do anymore because it is not within the trend.”
THE WINES
2013 Oro Bello
Chardonnay | California
Wine Spectrum 92+: Elegance, finesse and power are three words that come to mind when tasting Oro Bello. Winemaker Alexandre Remy says that wine tasting is first a range of feelings rather than a list of aromas. With his 2013 Oro Bello Chardonnay, the subtle nuances evoke a feeling of warmth. Fruit aromas range from pineapple to kiwi with Meyer lemon notes. The mouthfeel is smooth yet fresh and balanced with well-integrated toasted oak.
2014 Agnitio
Sauvignon Blanc | Napa Valley
Wine Spectrum 94: Aromas of bright citrus, grapefruit, orange peel and kiwi are expressed on the nose, while hints of anise and limestone suggest an elegant minerality. The palate is driven by its extraordinary acidity giving this wine a refined crispiness and long lasting finish. About 300 cases produced.
Sauvignon Blanc purists and fans of great Pouilly-Fumé will adore this wine. It was recently listed on the French Laundry’s wine list.
2013 Agnitio ‘Sun Chase Vineyard’
Chardonnay | Sonoma Coast
Wine Spectrum 94+: The first vintage of the Sun Chase Vineyard Chardonnay from Agnitio is a most distinctive wine with exuberant character and agability. Best compared to a Meursault from Burgundy, the mouthfeel is at once both laser-like and mineral and rich and complex. While still in its youthful stages, with time this wine will blossom to express its mature balance of unctuousness and freshness.
