It’s often that the great wines we continue to remember take us back to a place and time, evoking memories of being together with family and friends, celebrations of love, and honoring life's transformations. For Vintner, Aaron Michaelis, the memories he cherishes most are those of the tall prairie grasses of the meandering Flint Hills of eastern Kansas where he spent his childhood. Aaron grew up surrounded by an incredibly rich appreciation for the land and in awe of the invaluable practice of giving back to it. In 2013, he decided to set sail from the sea of grass and let his love for fine wine captain his prairie schooner on a voyage west. Aaron’s move to California was a leap of faith, fueled by a fascination with wine, that eventually brought him to the Napa Valley and cemented his future in the industry. Working in sales, marketing, and product development with boutique wineries and vineyards across the valley, Aaron became more passionate the more involved he got with each new project, and it soon grew harder to ignore his true calling. Finally in 2016, Aaron’s dream of creating a small portfolio of artisanal wines became a reality when he hired veteran winemaker and Thomas Rivers Brown protégé, Andy Jones, to create the first vintage of Flint Knoll.
Andy Jones, originally from Jackson, Wyoming, moved to the Bay Area to continue his career in the culinary world after entering the restaurant business at an early age. In 2008, Andy made the leap from a management position at a Michelin-starred restaurant to cellar intern at Outpost Wines on Howell Mountain. This seasonal position was a game-changer for Andy. At season’s end and at the behest of Consulting Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, Andy signed on full-time and began his decade long career as Assistant Winemaker before starting his own brand, Spinning Gold, and taking on a few clients of his own. Andy believes in a hands-off winemaking approach, letting the vineyard speak for itself. This does not mean the wine makes itself, of course. To be successful, this approach requires a painstaking amount of attention to detail, and almost unnatural level of intuition.
The Stagecoach Vineyard from Pritchard Hill’s stellar landscape lies just miles south of iconic properties of Bryant Family, Colgin Cellars, Ovid and Chappellet, all of which are planted in the distinct red volcanic soils for which this dramatic AVA is known. This 2018 is flirtatious, first offering dark notes of chocolate, cherries, crème de cassis and licorice, but then it opens up to reveal bright cooling flavors that are concentrated and powerful. The supple, fine-grained tannins coat the palate with tremendous finesse, offering textural depth in a multitude of layers. Only 4 barrels made.
Exceptional and exquisite, you must try it for yourself to see what all the hype is about!
