The Vault

We make small-production, one-off wines.

Each wine is unique, capturing the tireless efforts of our crazy team of dreamers. We make them once and when they are gone, they are gone for good. The Vault is a historical showcase of our work and the wines included are sold out and retired. (Yes, we're serious and no, we can't find more for you.)

2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018

Love Now More Than Ever

The Alright Fight Club

I Love You but I've Chosen Disco

Dynamic Karate Theory

Love is Louder than Bombs

Hey DJ, Save Us Tonight

California Gigolo

Ancestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Backseats & Beautiful Mistakes

Mermaids & Motorcycles

Eastside

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Somewhere Out On That Horizon

Pét-Nat Sparkling Chardonnay, San Benito County, Siletto-Wheeler Vineyard

The story

Peace and love fellow wine-lovers. Are you ready for a far-out journey through trippy flavors, free love, joy and mind-bending enjoyment? Us too.

Once upon a time, nestled among the groovy lands of San Benito County, some righteous Wente-clone Chardonnay grapes were harvested and picked by the bright and free-spirited production team at Tank Garage Winery. For a brief history lesson: the Wente clone originated in the Wente Vineyards in Livermore, CA. C.H. Wente was an early pioneer of the California wine industry. His son, Ernest Wente, convinced him to bring some Chardonnay into an experimental lot using budwood from Meursault and vines from Montpellier, France and as the two sources mutated over time, they’ve now formed the genetic base for 75% of California Chardonnay. Trippy, huh?
We knew with some harmoniously classic grapes like these, and to capture the most vibrant expression of these psychedelic textures and flavors we turned to the méthode ancestrale. For anyone who might need a refresh, this is the oldest method for making sparkling wine and produces a beautiful and all-natural “pét-nat” (or pétillant naturel) by trapping carbon dioxide and fermenting itself inside the bottle with no added sugar or yeast. The gentle and silky carbonation in this bottle will have you wanting to join hands, pick flowers and graze meadows and mountainsides all day long. Hippy Sippy is truly bottled, free love, and your vibes will be at their most ultimate once you experience flavors of green apple, lemongrass and a mellow toastiness dancing on your taste buds. With delicate bubbles and medium-bright acidity, you’ll feel as though pure magic has unleashed amongst your senses. Get ready to take in the world around you like you never have before ✌️

This lively fizz pairs with so many scenarios that spread goodwill and love, not war, but is exceptional when paired with fresh raw oysters, halibut crudo, or any kind of seafood. It’s equally enchanting on its own, and the ideal, light, and easy companion for an afternoon beach excursion or a luxurious lay in the grass at the nearest park. We think you’ll be feeling all the free love and positive vibes when sippin’ on this pure alchemy. Peace out.

Wine Notes

Varieties

53% Trousseau Gris, 22% Grenache Blanc, 12% Greco, 6% Picpoul, 4% Roussanne, 2% Marsanne, 1% Gewürztraminer

Production

395 Cases Made

Vintage

2022

Hippy Sippy

Pét-Nat Sparkling Chardonnay, San Benito County, Siletto-Wheeler Vineyard

The story

Wine Notes

I'm coming out
I want the world to know
Got to let it show

Get ready to sashay and slay with the newest addition to Tank Garage Winery's collection, Out of the Closet! This limited-edition red wine is more than just a drink, dreamer, it's a celebration of love, diversity, and Pride!

Our bold and fruity 2022 California Red wine is a tantalizing blend of 70% Ruché and 30% Barbera, guaranteed to make your taste buds tingle and your heart sing. Taste the tartness of cranberries and strawberries, the sweetness of red apples and raspberries, and the tanginess of sour patch kids. You'll also notice a subtle stemminess and green quality that evokes the freshness of spring and the dewy essence of wet rocks. With low tannin, this wine is chillable, easy to drink and pairs perfectly with any occasion.

And the label art, darlings, the label art is simply divine! It's designed by the talented Hizze Fletcher King, whose art is grounded in queer-core culture and celebrates the LGBTQ+ community. Her masterpiece for Out of the Closet, Closet Door #2, is a powerful symbol of coming out and living your truth.

Not only is Out of the Closet a delicious wine, but it's also a wine with a purpose. We're proud to donate $1 per bottle to Out of the Closet Thrift Store, a foundation founded in 1990 to help raise funds and awareness for AIDS Healthcare Foundation. So, whether you're voguing in the ballroom or dancing in the streets with a bottle of this mouth-watering red, you can do it knowing that you're making a real difference in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Crafted with love and passion from Ruché and Barbera grapes from the Siletto Vineyard and Sierra de Montserrat Vineyard, this wine is a tribute to the fearless and innovative ballroom culture. Blending two unlikely varieties, we created a wine that is as bold and distinctive as the queens who grace the ballroom floor. With meticulous foot stomping for the Ruché and extended maceration for the Barbera, this wine delivers a truly unforgettable taste experience. Aged for 6 months in used French oak, it's ready to be sipped now through 2028 or beyond if you're feeling the Italian wine vibes.

And honey, when you drink this wine, you'll be coming out too. Coming out with boldness, sass, and style. So raise a glass to the dreamers, the crazy, the unique, and the bold. To the artists, the freaks, the lovers, and the ones that never quite fit in. To our friends and family, our queens, our kings, and everyone in between. Out of the Closet is here, and we're proud to celebrate Pride with you.

Wine Notes

Varieties

70% Ruché, 30% Barbera

Production

100 Cases Made with and for Pride

Vintage

2022

Vineyard Notes

Siletto Vineyard and Sierra de Montserrat Vineyard

Fermentation

Ruche 100% foot stomped, whole cluster, pumpovers and delestage performed at early stages of fermentation. Barbera destemmed, punchdown 2x per day, extended maceration

Heavy Metal Life

Red Wine, California

Dim the lights, spread out the satin, and come with me…

Let’s get comfortable, let’s get weird, and let’s strip off some layers because this wine is luscious, succulent, and bound to dazzle all your senses. We know it’s going to have you grasping at the sheets and begging for more, more, more…

Following up to our crisp, Provençal-style Wild Child, we wanted to switch things up and bring in some deeper tones and bigger fruit flavors. A Tantalizing blend of 36% Mourvèdre, 34% Grenache, and 30% Cinsault picked from young vines at Snows Crossing, La Raia, and Sierra de Montserrat vineyards in the Sierra Foothills; these grapes were picked at ideal ripeness in August, chasing the incoming heat waves that hit the Napa Valley in early September 2022. This year we played around with foot-stomping the grapes before pressing them to allow for a little more skin contact in hopes of bringing out some deeper colors of the fruit, followed by all stainless-steel fermentation. The result is a sensual and mesmerizing rose gold that shimmers and allures as you swirl before taking it in.

Right, we’re talking about wine! How does it taste? It. Is. Ecstasy. On the nose, this rosé is full of juicy watermelon, jasmine, and tropical fruit gushers. As soon as it hits your tongue, your palette will explode with lychee and passionfruit while executing a slow and seductive dance between balanced acidity and freshness. And then there’s the finish: luscious and overflowing bright fruit lingering on the back of your palette. This wine is ready to seduce at all times of the day: on the beach, on a picnic blanket laid out in the grass, an airplane, heart-shaped motel bed, living room floor, dining room table…right, we’re still talking about the wine.

This wine is also amazing with spring and summer-centric foods. Think ceviche, crudo, or a spicy Thai soup or salad. We had this alongside Caribbean-inspired pickled shrimp with avocado and taro root chips, a meal from Compère Lapin in New Orleans, luckily made accessible to us from a dope new food concept in Napa called Moveable Feast which brings meals from renowned restaurants around the country to your doorstep. But don’t worry, this wine is also impeccable, with some eager lips simply begging for it and nothing else at all.

And, of course, a wine this bewitching could only be partnered with our favorite creative muse and long-time collaborator, Sita Kaylin. Sexy flavors know sexy art, and these two have been seamlessly sewn together like the very finest luxury embroidery.

Seriously, we’re crazy worked up about this wine: the tantalizing color, the bright juice, the sensual vibes, the versatility…we think you will be too.

Wine Notes

Varieties

36% Mourvèdre, 34% Grenache, 30% Cinsault

Vintage

2022

Bloom! Bloom!

2020 Grenache, Calaveras County, Rorick Heritage Vineyard

The story

Oh, darling dreamer, hop on this wild ride and let us take you to the unforgettable Rorick Heritage Vineyard, just a stone's throw away from Murphys in Calaveras County, CA. This organic wonderland boasts vines that have been thriving since the 1970s, perched high in the hills at a breezy 2000'. You may recognize this vineyard from past wines such as Softcore and Come, Saints & Sinners. The grapes grown here are known for their stunning aroma, texture, and natural acidity, which keeps us coming back season after season.

Bloom! Bloom! is a limited-edition red wine that will have your taste buds singing and your heart skipping a beat. Made from 100% Grenache, hand-harvested on a warm September day in 2020, this wine is a true testament to the winemaking finesse of the Tank team. Each precious cluster was foot-stomped and transferred to stainless steel tanks for extended maceration, followed by a blissful 20 months of aging in neutral French oak barrels, before being bottled to perfection.

Bloom! Bloom! is not just any wine, it's a work of art, complete with a whimsical label featuring a charming couple on a moped, surrounded by an array of stunning bouquets. The playful and vibrant label sets the tone for the wine inside.

As soon as you pour the wine, its rich ruby color with a slight purple hue will take your breath away. You'll immediately be greeted by the sweet aroma of cherries and cocoa, followed by a subtle hint of leather, herbs, and cedar. On the palate, Bloom! Bloom! is fresh, textured, and oh-so-elegant. It has velvety tannins that give it a delightful grip and nice acidity that complements the intricate blend of cherries, cocoa, and earl-grey tea flavors. The wine finishes with a satisfying aftertaste that will make you long for another sip.

Bloom! Bloom! is a wine that pairs exceptionally well with food. Its bold and complex flavors make it the perfect companion for bacon-wrapped dates. The wine's tannic structure cuts through the richness of the bacon and complements the sweetness of the dates, creating a harmonious and delicious pairing that will make you feel like royalty.

With only 56 cases produced, this wine is a rare gem that you simply cannot miss.

Wine Notes

2021 White Wine, Edna Valley

The story

Finally, a fight club you should talk about.

Kicking off our Tank Cares initiative for 2023, The Alright Fight Club is a delicious white wine sold in support of The Jed Foundation and Winston's Wish, two incredible organizations helping people fight their own fights-whatever they may be.

The first rule of The Alright Fight Club is that it isn't just alright; it's really alright, alright, alright. We wanted to make an easy-drinking, crushable wine in the spirit of Backseats & Beautiful Mistakes and California Gigolo. And this one punches above its weight class.

We start with Grüner Veltliner, our favorite thing to come out of Austria since Mozart, Schwarzenegger, and Redbull. This delicious grape is known for its citrusy vibes and mouthwatering acidity that makes flavors explode in your mouth like pop rock candy. We sourced this lot from the Hamish Vineyard in Edna Valley, an area just outside of San Luis Obispo known for its clay-rich soils and cool Pacific Ocean breeze. These moderate conditions lead to an extended growing season, which helps create complex and exotic flavors.

To keep things interesting, we made Chenin Blanc the tag team partner, another white variety known for its acidic punch and pome fruit flavors. Fermented and aged for a few rounds in stainless steel, we bottled the juice up to lock in as much freshness as possible.

Once we step into the ring, marvel at the refreshing straw hue and soak in the alluring aromas of lemongrass, pear, and honeysuckle. Spit out your mouthpiece and start drinking because this wine tastes DELICIOUS. Loads of lemon, apple, grapefruit, and white peach pour out of the glass. The finish is groovy and will leave you with a smile.

One more thing, this wine LOVES food. Salads, chips and salsa, tacos, chow mein, salmon, crawfish boils...get creative.

For the label, we partnered with UK-based artist Sam Eyre, who fancies himself as a bit of a mash-up artist, playing with different mediums, textures, and photography. After scouring some old sports books, he became inspired. "I got into this idea of exploring battles - not in a physical sense but what fights people have to go through, the fact we all have something to conquer and overcome, and quite often we don’t share them. The boxers in the image seem to have paused – like they are each quietly considering something internally – a question."

But why is it just alright? "Ultimately, I wanted it to be a positive image, a positive message – to encourage us to ask that question of each
other – are you alright?"

$1 for every bottle sold of The Alright Fight Club will be split between two organizations. The Jed Foundation helps protect emotional health and prevent suicide for America's young people. Winston's Wish is a bereavement charity in the UK that helps children cope with losing a parent or loved one. Every bottle you purchase will help go towards these important fights.

Wine Notes

Varieties

85% Grüner Veltliner, 15% Chenin Blanc

Production

295 Cases Made

Vintage

2021

Vineyard Notes

Hamish Vineyard & Saureel Vineyard

Occhiali Da Sole

2021 Skin-Contact Trousseau Gris, Russian River Valley, Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard

The story

You've never had a wine like this before.

Dreamer, meet Occhiali da Sole, a 100% Trousseau Gris from the iconic Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard located in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Planted in 1981 by Peter Fanucchi and his father Arcangelo, this Russian River Valley vineyard grows in sandy loam soils and is farmed organically. Home to the last plantings of Trousseau Gris in the US, gaining access to Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard's scarce fruit is like finding the holy grail.

If you're thinking, "I've never heard of Trousseau Gris," here's the breakdown: a mutation from the red variety Trousseau Noir, Trousseau Gris is a white variety sometimes referred to as Grey Riesling. Producing crisp, aromatic white wines, this variety was once widely planted across California before falling out of popularity in the 1980s. Today, just one 10-acre block remains.

Harvested on September 1st, this Trousseau Gris was some of the first fruit we brought in for the 2021 harvest. After foot-stomping and a cold soak for two days on the skins, we delicately pressed the clusters to extract just the right amount of color without harsh textures or flavors and began fermentation in stainless steel. Following fermentation, the wine was aged in neutral oak barrels and bottled by our team this past June.

Let us reiterate: this is the best Trousseau Gris we've ever made. Perfect for lounging in the last of the late-summer sun, Occhiali da Sole is a reminder to throw on some rose-colored shades and let all your troubles melt away. The color of a peachy-orange sunset with enticing aromas of rosewater and zesty citrus, this wine draws you in from the moment it hits your glass. On the palate, we get these mouth-watering flavors of lychee, earl grey tea, and a touch of cranberry. The balanced acidity with a slightly textural tannin structure makes this wine an ideal pairing for shellfish, poolside fare, or watching the sun disappear over the horizon.

Wine Notes

Varieties

100% Trousseau Gris

Production

275 Cases Made

Vintage

2021

Vineyards

Fannuchi-Wood Road Vineyard

Fermentation

First two days maceration on skin then pressed and fermented in stainless steel

Love Saves the Day

2021 Skin-Contact White Wine, San Benito County

The story

“Melt down the guns, we'll build ships to the Stars
We'll rise above conflict and wars
Now dry your eyes, there's still a way
We live for Love
Love Saves the Day”

At Tank, we live for joy and happiness. We live for kindness and compassion. We live for authenticity, creativity, and individuality. Eminently at our core, we believe we are truly human when we live for love.

We also very much LIVE for orange wine. Harvested in September of 2021, these white grapes from Siletto Vineyard were foot-stomped and aged for 8 months with 100% skin contact and 100% malolactic fermentation in neutral French oak barrels (aka BBLs 😜). As a reminder, orange wine is a white wine made just like red wine, which provides more tannin structure and body than most white wines that don't have skin contact. Siletto houses 34 varieties from 5 unique and organically farmed vineyards, planted in earthquake-shaken gravelly loams along the San Benito River and Tres Pinos Creek in San Benito County. Grapes were first established in the rugged landscape of San Benito County by French and German immigrants in the mid-1800s, shaping much of the wine culture as we know it today. Nearby is California's newly established Pinnacles National Park, an ancient volcano and California Condor habitat.

Love Saves is like eating a shower peach. What is a shower peach, you ask? Exactly as it sounds: the liberating, sensual, and feel-good experience of eating a peach in the shower and forgetting the mess. Without worrying if you’re going to get sticky, just let the juice flow, and the steam enhances the flavor. The wine itself is super soft, mellow, dry, and packs a fruit punch. Reminiscent of biting into a fruit gusher, you’re in for a tropical fruit explosion of pineapples and mangos intermingled with floral notes of white grapefruit blossoms and chrysanthemum tea.

The retro artwork is once again provided by the infinitely talented Poppy Faun, one of our favorite collagists and collaborators.

We paired Love Saves with our new favorite restaurant in Downtown Napa, Osha Thai. This is the fourth restaurant by chef Lalita Souksamlane, who started with a noodle shop in San Francisco in 1996.

Please don't forget to order the tuna tower (Yellow Fin Tuna tartare, mango, avocado, & toasted garlic Sriracha-sesame sauce W/crispy wonton) 🤤

Wine Notes

Varieties

71% Chardonnay, 27% Grenache Blanc, 1% Orange Muscat, 1% Barbera

Production

548 Cases Made

Vintage

2021

Vineyards

Siletto Vineyard, San Benito County

Fermentation

100% Foot-stomped & Skin Fermented

Love is Louder than Bombs

2020 Red Wine, Amador County

The story

"Love is Louder Than Bombs
Empathy is Deeper Than Hate
Truth is Stronger Than Lies
Good is Greater Than Evil"

On February 24th, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the war that has been ongoing in the region since 2014. In the months that have followed, the world has witnessed tragedy after tragedy as thousands of lives are lost and millions of people are displaced from their homes. We’ve learned of war crimes and atrocities no being should ever have to endure. But amidst the hate and terror arose stories of the brave individuals fighting in resistance and carrying on in the face of extreme peril. This wine is a reminder that love will always prevail in the face of devastating hate, aggression, and evil.

Love is Louder Than Bombs is a 2020 red wine consisting of 85% Syrah, 10% Valdiguie and 5% Negrette. The grapes were plucked from the vines of Amador County in mid-September and foot-stomped by our cellar team with 30% whole-cluster inclusion for barrel fermentation. The wine was aged for 14 months in neutral oak prior to bottling.

Deep plum at its core with a cherry rim, this wine exudes dark fruit and resinous herbs from the glass, reminding you of a dense cedar forest on a rainy afternoon. The wine envelopes your palate with notes of blueberry jam, leather, and a touch of charcoal and oregano. It’s a red that sticks with you – and will make an excellent pairing for grilled pork chops with mustard sauce.

Designed by Ukrainian sisters Victoria and Vitalina Lopukhina, this Tank Cares label raises $2 per bottle sold for relief efforts in Ukraine. We’ve chosen three organizations for the donations that we believe are making an impact where it’s needed most: Good Bread, Prytula Foundation and the Ukrainian Women Veteran Movement.

Wine Notes

Varieties

85% Syrah, 10% Valdiguié, 5% Négrette

Production

545 Cases Made

Vintage

2020

Vineyards

Amador County

Fermentation

Foot-stomped, 30% whole-cluster

Lost Dreams

2019 Red Wine, Napa Valley

The story

Wine Notes

Every Woman's Dream. Every Man's Fantasy. Or so we're told.

If you're looking for pleasure, let us give you a card for California Gigolo, a sexy, groovy white wine that'll make your tongue moan.

A California blend of 60% Grüner Veltliner, 26% Roussanne, 8% Chenin Blanc, and 6% Grenache Blanc, we went for a quaffable, poundable (😘) style that just tastes yummy. The star of this wine is the Grüner we sourced from the rolling hills of Edna Valley by San Luis Obispo. Just east of the Pacific Ocean, this is one of the coolest viticultural areas in California, with long passionate growing seasons, and diverse soils with volcanic and marine sediments and throbbingly rock hard shale.

So how did we make it? Picked for flavor, hand-harvested, whole cluster direct to press, racked off of gross less, chilled fermentation in stainless steel and Austrian puncheon! The result is Grüner Veltliner that is both round with flavor while maintaining a fresh and crisp finish. Damn, we love this Austrian grape, it swings both ways. Add in the Roussanne for some additional herbal complexity, plus a few more friends, and we truly have a delicious wine.

How 'bout we unbutton its shirt and get a big waft of that sexy cologne. Wads of gorgeous aromas of citrus and nectarine swirl out of the glass, unzipping the pants to delectable herbaceous flavors of grapefruit, lemongrass, and peach supported by notes of white pepper and dill. With incredible acidity, the juicy flavors practically explode in your mouth, and drip down your neck and chest (RECORD SCRATCH)... ok, maybe we took it too far.

So, ahem, the label.

Sometimes we feel like the only winery truly celebrating the late '70s and early '80s. In this case, we're drawing on our nostalgia and busting out that old Betamax tape we've been hiding under our mattress. Though Betamax would ultimately lose the war against the technically inferior VHS format, we have fond memories of its high-quality presentation and retro packaging. Ok, it's also another nod to old porno films, but if we don't carry that torch, what winery will?

Wine Notes

Varieties

60% Grüner Veltliner, 26% Roussanne, 8% Chenin Blanc, 6% Grenache Blanc

Production

295 Cases Made

Vintage

Ancestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Red Wine, California

The story

It's time to fuel up your soul and hit the road.

Harkening back to our roots, Soul Fuel is a dark, luscious Napa Valley blend that is a complete throwback to wines like All or Nothing. That's right, we're back to big Zinfandel blends and vintage motorcycles, and it feels so good.

You love Zinfandel. We love Zinfandel. Everybody loves Zinfandel. So we made it the core of this wine. The fruit we got for this blend comes from the legendary valley floor where it enjoyed hot days and cool nights during the growing season which created the intensely concentrated blueberry flavor in this wine. With every sip, we lament the demise of Zin in the NV. This shit used to be everywhere, but more and more, vineyards have replaced it with Cab. Money talks, but we digress.

Next up in the blend is some peppery Syrah we sourced from the Carneros region, plus some Petite Sirah from Calistoga for tannins, and then a dash of Tempranillo, Primitivo, and Grenache.

From a winemaking perspective, our winemaker Bertus will tell you this is all about extraction. Through it, we have brooding color, alluring aromas, and dark flavor. On the pallet, it's basically a blueberry milkshake with deep flavors of blueberry and raspberry intertwined with mocha, exotic spice, and white pepper. Perfectly integrated tannins and a satisfyingly long finish make this. This is the right stuff to fill you up.

So what is soul fuel? We believe that too often people find themselves burnt out, and that sucks. But we believe burnout comes not from doing too much, but from doing too little of what you love. You know, the shit that makes you smile. The shit that makes you present. The shit that makes you feel invigorated. That's soul fuel.

And for us, you can call us basic, but we fucking love vintage motorcycles. Yeah, yeah, thanks, captain obvious. We love them so much we built a winery about it. So we dug up one of our oldest unused photos from when we were the first opening of some dudes on their bikes, on a dirt flat. Nothing but speed and excitement ahead. Go fuel up.

Wine Notes

Varieties

58% Zinfandel, 17% Syrah, 17% Petite Sirah, 6% Tempranillo, 1% Primitivo, 1% Grenache

Production

450 Cases Made

Red Wine, California

This one's gonna rev your engine.

If you're in search of a white wine dripping with groovy, sexy flavors, you can just stop reading this right now. We got you. Hot Fuss is the tasty lick you need.

For this blend, we first traveled down the Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Maria, an area that straddles the boundary of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Here we found Grüner Veltliner, an Austrian grape basking in the California sunshine, morning fog, and a Pacific breeze. These cooler factors help develop harmonious flavors and acidity like the wine manifestation of a yin-yang symbol.

Next, we booked it northward, grabbing Greco and Chardonnay from San Benito, Riesling from the Central Coast, and Gewürztraminer from our friends at McCormack Ranch in Solano. The goal? To blend together a crushable white wine that'll leave drinkers licking their lips.

In the glass, marvel at the golden straw hues. Sink your nose in and vibe on the lemon, apple, and white blossom aromas. In your mouth, let your tongue swirl around the smooth textures and savor flavors of pear, fresh citrus, honey, and white spice. Oh, and the fruitful finish will leave you vibrating like a V8 motor.

You'll want to pair this baby with oysters, sushi, spicy Thai dishes, schnitzel, or some good old-fashioned American French fries.

For a bombshell wine like this, we went with a vintage pinup collage of all of our favorite things; cars, tigers, and spark plugs. An embodiment of what gets us in a hot fuss.

Wine Notes

Varieties

45% Grüner Veltliner, 20% Gewürztraminer, 13% Greco, 12% Riesling, 10% Chardonnay

Production

350 Cases Made

Vintage

2022

Darling, Don't Cry

Red Wine, California

The story

Darling Don’t Cry beckons you closer, her vibrant lips and shimmering tears a testament to unspoken stories. This is a wine that defies expectations, inviting you to peek beyond the surface.

This enigmatic Petite Sirah-dominant red shimmers a bright cherry-ruby in your glass. The captivating color hints at the playful twist this blend holds, a result of a unique and meticulous winemaking technique called reverse saignée. Inspired by the traditional saignée method used for rosé production, this process involves adding fermenting Petite Sirah juice to a vat of whole cluster grapes.

Unlike the classic method where juice is removed for rosé, this "reverse" approach creates a carbonic maceration environment. This technique allows fermentation to occur under a blanket of carbon dioxide, minimizing oxidation and preserving the grape's delicate fruit character. This meticulous approach is a testament to the dedication and innovation of our winemaking team, resulting in a wine that captures the pure, fruity, juicy essence of Petite Sirah.

Grapes for this blend are meticulously sourced from Vine View Ranch in Yorkville Highlands AVA and Green Valley Vineyard in Solano County. Both vineyards flourish under coastal influence, experiencing cool nights and warm days with extended ripening periods. This translates to beautifully concentrated fruit flavors and exceptional grape quality.

On the nose, the wine transports you to a hidden garden. Earthy herbs like rosemary and lavender mingle with hints of vintage potpourri and a whisper of worn leather. Delicate rose petals and a burst of raspberry peek through, creating a fascinating and unexpected contrast.

The first sip is a revelation. Soft, plush, and pillowy, the wine caresses your palate with a symphony of flavors. Imagine strawberry preserves dancing a tango with decadent milk chocolate, a touch of earthy leather adding a touch of intrigue. This isn't your average wine; it's a captivating story unfolding with every sip.

This wine has a fierce spirit simmering beneath the surface of the tear-stained label. The finish lingers long, with a playful warmth dancing on your tongue, leaving a hint of quiet defiance lingering on your palate. It’s a sip-and-savor kind of wine, an alluring enigma waiting to be explored with each swirl and taste.

Fabian Fioto, the photographer behind the captivating image on the label, is known for his love of vintage aesthetics and film photography. He strives to capture timeless beauty in his work, and his use of film forces him to be more deliberate with his compositions, resulting in images that are both evocative and thought-provoking.

Like the woman on the label, with her silent promise and captivating mystery, Darling Don't Cry holds its secrets close, revealing them only to those who take the time to truly discover its depths.

darling don’t cry, pay them no mind
show them no fear, I’ll be right here

Wine Notes

Varieties

69% Petite Sirah, 16% Valdiguié, 15% Zinfandel

Production

350 Cases Made

Vintage

Vineyard Notes

Vine View Ranch, Yorkville Highlands (Mendocino) & Green Valley Vineyard (Solano County)

Winemaker Notes

Petite Sirah (PS) - Reverse Saignee - direct press PS juice covered the whole clusters of PS for 5 days of carbonic maceration (in contact with the fermenting juice). After the 5 days the direct press and newly pressed carbonic whole cluster juice went to stainless steel tank together and left to finish fermentation before being barreled down Zinfandel - all de-stemmed, extended maceration, normal extraction - 2 pump-overs per day at peak of fermentation, aged in neutral oak Valdiguie - foot stomped, whole cluster - extended maceration, normal extraction - 2 pump-overs per day at peak of fermentation, aged in neutral oak and 1x large wooden tank

BDXSM

2021 Red Wine, California

The story

Get your safe word cued up because we are going for a tantalizing and wild ride.

What do you really desire? Something run-of-the-mill, or something that pushes the boundaries and defies conventions? Think outside the box. Answer us now, or else. We mean it.

Get your head out of the gutter, we’re talking about wine here. Introducing BDXSM, another wine from the Tank team that takes a classic (in this case, a Bordeaux blend) and transcends the boundaries of everything you think you know about wine from the Napa Valley.

With sensually striking label artwork by René Garza, this bottle challenges your expectations, and commands attention before opening it up, emerging to you as an exploration of pleasure and dark sophistication. In the glass, this wine unveils itself as a deep maroon hue, hinting at the depth of desire that awaits your palate. The nose presents a seductive symphony of blackcurrant, cassis, baking spice, and a touch of cedar, heightening your senses to a carnal realm previously unvisited.

Ready to dive deeper? We’re not waiting for your answer. BDXSM takes command with prominent and balanced tannins with a firm, yet velvety grip that envelops your palate. With an exciting interplay of dark cherry, spiced plum, marjoram, bay leaf, and tobacco, this wine transcends the ordinary, taking you on a journey that intermingles suspense and desire with each sip.

Crafted from a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Malbec, the majority of the Cabernet was sourced from one of our faves, Siletto Vineyard in San Benito County. The rest of the grapes were sourced from vineyards so exclusive in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys, that we had to keep them a secret, but that doesn’t stop them from asserting their dominance on your taste buds. These grapes were meticulously de-stemmed and cold-soaked in stainless steel and matured in the embrace of French Oak until bottling in November 2021.

BDXSM is an invitation to surrender to the pleasures of the palate and take a journey into the realms of desire and curiosity that linger long after the last drop.

Wine Notes

Varieties

82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec

Production

295 Cases Made

Vintage

2021

Hella Fizz

Pét-Nat Sparkling White Wine, California

The story

Yo, ditch the corkscrew, this party's got a pop-top! Hella Fizz is a Pét-Nat bash in a bottle, a west coast celebration ready to erupt on your taste buds. It's a multi-vintage blend, a mixtape of grapes from 2022 and 2023 that's as fresh as a Mission mural.

For the wine geeks: This ain't your average bubbly. Hella Fizz is a Pét-Nat, which is basically the OG of sparkling wines. Forget fancy second fermentations and riddling – Pét-Nat keeps it simple. We bottle the juice before it finishes fermenting, letting the natural CO2 create those delightful bubbles. The result? A refreshingly light and funky sparkler that's perfect for any chill California occasion.

That first sip explodes with a burst of sunshine and perfume – juicy clementines dancing with fragrant jasmine, the smell of summer in the city. Gewurztraminer and Riesling bring the tropical vibes, then the Chardonnay and Greco Bianco weave in a smooth honeysuckle sweetness, creating a perfect harmony on the palate. It's like cruising down the 101, windows down, blasting California Love – a little bit of everything, perfectly blended.

Don't let the sunshine and honeysuckle fool you, this ain't no sugary cooler. Hella Fizz finishes dry and refreshing, like a cool Pacific breeze cutting through a hot California afternoon. It's a taste that lingers, reminding you of good times and endless summer days.

And the bubbles? Don't even get us started. Frothy and alive, they're like that feeling when your favorite band hits the stage at the Fillmore. Hella Fizz comes in a sleek glass bottle with a crown cap, ready to be popped open at Dolores Park or your next backyard BBQ. No fuss, just pure California fun.

So grab a bottle, crank up the tunes, and let the Hella Fizz vibes flow. Now that's what we're talkin' about!

2019 MDNA, Mixed Blacks, Dry Creek Valley

The story

Someone tell Aunt Karen to clutch her pearls because the Lady Madonna is getting a new look.

While some get a little sensitive when we delve into religious matters, we say fuck it. MDNA is a mixed blacks mashup of 56% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 12% Syrah, 5% Carignan, and 2% Malbec from Dry Creek Valley, located in Sonoma County, CA. The concept of mixed blacks is about as old as winemaking itself. For centuries, farmers have harvested and fermented whichever grapes were planted in their fields. This trend carried over to the United States in the late 19th century, where vineyards were planted with Zinfandel and lesser-known varieties like Petite Sirah and Carignane interspersed.

So what’s it like? It definitely hits different than that sip of sacrament you’d receive at an alter. Deep purple in color, aromas of cinnamon and macerating blackberries and wet rocks entice you with every inhale. The first sip is like biting into a juicy cherry in summer, with a bit of pepper, cassis, and vanilla sprinkled in. Trust us, you won’t want to put this glass down.

We worked with renowned artist René Garza to create this simple collage depicting Lady Madonna sucking on a tootsie pop. To really make this Renaissance/pop mash-up shine, we gloss varnished a satin shimmer label and topped it all off with a gold capsule.

Wine Notes

Varieties

56% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 12% Syrah, 5% Carignan, 2% Malbec

Production

350 Cases Made

Vintage

2019

Tokyo Love Hotel

2020 Tokyo Love Hotel, Pét-Nat Sparkling Wine, Clement Hills, Stampede Vineyard

The story

A Pét-Nat with an hourly rate.

You asked us to get weird, so we got weird. Tokyo Love Hotel is a fun, bubbly red wine for all you secret lovers out there.

On the heels of Come, Saints and Sinners, we wanted to make a Pét-Nat from another heritage vineyard site. But this one needed to get kinky. So we had to turn to the experts, brothers Jeff and John Perlegos, owners of the Stampede Vineyard in the Clement Hills AVA of Lodi.

Certified by the Historical Vineyard Society, this vineyard was originally planted by J.J. Zechmeister and C.H. Suess in the 1920s. Its location is one of our favorites, nestled between the southern embankment of the Mokelumne River and the legendary Clements Buckaroos Rodeo Grounds, which is home to the biggest amateur rodeo in the country.

This own-rooted vineyard is dotted with a dozenish heritage grape varieties including Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Mission grapes, and some other unidentified shit. Now if you’re thinking like we’re thinking, there’s only one thing to do with a vineyard like this: field blend.

With traditional blends, we will pick each variety separately, often on different days, and then combine them at a point in the future after they’ve been individually pressed. With a field blend, it’s “fuck it, we’ll do it live!” as we pick all the grapes together, piling them into the same bins, leaving their fate to destiny.

But wait, it gets stranger. As an experiment, we split our field blend into two lots. One that would be traditionally pressed and left on the skins and another that would be carbonically macerated to accentuate the freshness of the grapes. With carbonic maceration, we place the grapes into sealed tanks and pump in carbon dioxide to force out oxygen. Deprived of this resource, the grapes will release an enzyme and the individual berries start to burst and self-press through gravity.

Here’s where the story goes off the rails. From there, we decided to combine both lots to make it into a pét-nat sparkling wine. With this process, we bottle the wine before it completes its first fermentation, which naturally infuses the wine with bubbles. This differs from “méthode classique” where sugar is added to still wine to force a second fermentation. Who has time for that?

The checklist so far... We got a semi-carbonic macerated pét-nat field blend from a certified historic vineyard. See, we told you it was weird.

But strangely, the result is just plain delicious. Big mouthwatering aromas of wild cherry and blackberry candy bubble from the glass. In your mouth, it’s got a zangy intensity of flavor with those fresh flavors of blackberry, raspberry woven into small delicate bubbles. It’s like a Lambrusco plus skittles and we love it!

So what’s with the name? Well during our harvest walk with the Perlegos, we discovered that they once took monthly business trips to Tokyo. Trying to relate, one of us then told the brothers about a recent trip to this amazing city where they and their partner had stayed at a Love Hotel. You know, an hourly hotel with romantic kitsch decor designed for two (or more) lovers to sneak away for a short consensual tryst...sometimes involving toys, costumes, and karaoke. Perhaps an hour is a long time to delve into the complex details of this experience, but when we finally shut up, Jeff and John looked at us like we were out of our minds. So we promised them we’d name their wine Tokyo Love Hotel and paired it with this photo made by a Japanese street artist who is based out of Russia. Weird, we know, but we warned you.

Wine Notes

Varieties

100% Mixed Blacks

Production

297 Cases Made

Vintage

2020

Vineyard Notes

Stampede Heritage Vineyard

Backseats & Beautiful Mistakes

2020 Forever Baby, Rosé, California

The story

It's you and me, Baby...forever. The groovy followup to Wasted Love and Stars Like Ours, our new, refreshing Forever Baby is the ride-or-die Rosé that's absolutely dripping with deliciousness.

Before the 2020 harvest started, we challenged our winemaking team to make sure this Rosé topped all of our previous efforts, and if you know anything about Bertus and his crew, it's that they take challenges very seriously.

It is our personal belief that the best grapes for making Provençal-style Rosé come from the Sierra Foothills. The summer's radiant heat assures a presence of bright fruit flavors and the soils, rich with decomposed granite, help create the crisp minerality and seashell-like salinity that we find delicious in Rosé. Plus, the Foothills never sold out and still have all the cool and weird varieties we all love.

For this year's Rosé, we put the spotlight on Grenache for its lovely citrus notes and strawberry flavors. This particular fruit came from the Saureel Vineyard, which sits about 1,500 feet above sea level. Next, we added Cinsaut from the homies at Snows Crossing Vineyard, which is a grape we love for its beautiful aromatics. Lastly, we completed the blend with our forever loves Mourvèdre and Counoise.

Let's take a sec to talk about Rosé philosophies. While some choose to simply bleed off juice as a by-product of their regular red wines (saignée), we feel that Rosé deserves to be deliberately made. So we select the best grape varieties, pick grapes at the ideal time, and then delicately whole-cluster-press our fruit to avoid extracting harsh textures and overwhelming color. It's a much harder and complicated method but assures us the purest expression of Rosé.

Now if you're looking for one word to sum Forever Baby up, it's sexy. A flirtatious perfume of rose petals, fresh strawberry, and lemon zest drips out of the glass. In your mouth, it's light, crisp, and refreshing, with sensuous flavors of strawberry candy, freshly peeled grapefruit, raspberry sorbet, and jasmine. And you better call up Sting, because this tantric finish lasts FOREVER.

After tasting it, we knew this Rosé was the one. A seductive, loyal, Rosé with vintage '70s swag like this doesn't come around very often. So we put a necklace on it and made it our Forever Baby.

Wine Notes

On a recent visit to Florence, Italy, we came across the sign with the words Alto Basso. Translated from Italian to “High / Low,” Alto Basso takes its inspiration from both the wine styles and varietals found in the northern regions of Italy and those from the southern regions of France and Italy. The result? An elegantly soft, balanced wine with bright fruit, loads of spice and juicy acidity that makes this easy-drinking red perfect for the cool weather, with comfort food, or on its own.

Zinfandel is the backbone in this cool California table wine, and for good reason. When we set out to make our own version of the Vino da Tavola wines we tasted throughout Italy, we wanted to feature something that was unique to winemaking here in the US. While Zinfandel is certainly produced throughout the world, California Zinfandel is unlike wines anywhere else in the world. The fruit and spices are pronounced, followed by aromas of ripe blackberry, cedar, cigar box, and baking spices. Juicy raspberry and blueberry dominate at first, followed by layers of spice and sweet oak that are revealed as the wine opens up. A luxurious finish with coriander, vanilla, and caramel leaves you wanting more.

Wine Notes

Varieties

57% Zinfandel, 15% Petit Sirah, 11% Dolcetto, 10% Barbera, 3% Primitivo, 1% Grenache, 1% Syrah, 1% Charbono, 1% Mourvèdre

Production

775 Cases Made

Vintage

Alto Basso

Alto Basso, Red Wine, California

The story

Wine Notes

Varieties

57% Zinfandel, 15% Petit Sirah, 11% Dolcetto, 10% Barbera, 3% Primitivo, 1% Grenache, 1% Syrah, 1% Charbono, 1% Mourvèdre

Production

775 Cases Made

2019 Eastside, Pinot Noir, El Dorado County

The story

Now introducing Eastside, a 2019 Pinot Noir that pays homage to one of Manhattan’s most important neighborhoods.

The Lower East Side of Manhattan has been a cultural epicenter since the immigration boom of the 1800s and has been a major factor in shaping the cultural heritage throughout the US, including our beloved west coast. Transformed time and again through the decades, the story of this neighborhood is layered with complexity, much like the wine inside the bottle.

This year’s Pinot hails from Snows Crossing Vineyard, located on the Eastside of the high Sierras between Camino and Pleasant Valley. This south-facing vineyard is perched at 3,100 feet in elevation (that’s mad high, in case you didn’t know), with steep grades, decomposing granite soils and high levels of iron oxide. So, what does that mean for the wine in your glass? We’re not going to lie, this vineyard produces some cool-ass Pinot Noir.

We harvested the Pinot in September 2019, de-stemmed the fruit into stainless steel tanks and left it on the skins for two weeks with daily pump-overs. This gentle fermentation helped create the silky tannins and delicate fruit flavors you’ll taste in your glass. After aging 15 months in neutral French oak barrels, we bottled Eastside in January 2021. The result? Well, you’ll find out just how amazing this wine is when you taste it for yourself.

The first thing you’ll notice about this wine is its color. Like a freshly picked strawberry at the height of summer, this wine’s shimmery red hues are seriously captivating. On the nose, you’ll be enveloped by freshly blooming violets, rose petals and warm cherry pie. One sip will have you hooked because Eastside has it all. It’s like a bit of New York Cheesecake with macerated berries, a hint of butterscotch and a whisper of hazelnut. The granite soils of Snows Crossing Vineyard give the wine amazing minimality and we’d be lying if we said we didn’t want to drink this wine all damn day. With only 190 cases produced, we don’t expect this wine to be around for long.

Wine Notes

We were young, broke, and reckless, but we ruled this town.

Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, American youth was restless and hell-bent. They street-raced fast cars, made out at the drive-in, and had cooler hair then you'll ever have. The tattooed, smoking greasers of the time patrolled the boulevards and were iconic of America's own adolescence.

We've long been fans of photographer Joseph Sterling's work during this time, which perfectly captures the nostalgic exuberance and naiveté of the era. As Sterling explained, "The world of the adolescent is totally interlaced within itself and incapable of freeing itself...It whirls, rolls, and engulfs what it is allowed to engulf."

A blend of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, Lords of the Boulevard is also engulfing. With opening aromas of leather, tobacco, and dried figs, this wine unravels on the palate with rich, earthy notes, complex texture and grippy tannins. Finishing with notes of cocoa, blackberry, and a hint of strawberry, you can expect to savor this bad boy until the very last drop.

Wine Notes

Varieties

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Petite Sirah, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc

Production

600 Cases

Vintage

2016