Lussier, Cote de Boont, Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley 2019

You can Google this debut brand but you will not find much information. In fact, we had to call the winemaker himself to get all the details about this wine and we are happy to report that G.W. Lussier, founder and winemaker, is just as lovely as his wines. G.W. grew up in the Napa Valley, and despite his proximity to the wine industry, he never envisioned a career in wine for himself. Instead, inspired by the tragic events of 9/11, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served as an infantry officer, Airborne paratrooper, and Ranger all before his first tour in Iraq as a rifle platoon leader. After his first tour, he traveled to Champagne for two weeks and spent the time there traveling and discovering that delicious wines were made on nearly every block. It was here, learning about vineyard management and seeing the farmers and winemakers hard at work, that he realized that he had a deep love and passion for wine. After a final deployment in Afghanistan in 2014, G.W. left the military and ventured back home to the Napa Valley to pursue a career in the wine industry. In 2015, on a hot summer evening while playing bocce, an opportunity arose to work as a cellar intern at Pahlmeyer. From there, he went on to continue his wine education at Williams Selyem where he helped to craft renowned Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It was in this cellar, despite the back-to-back 14-hour days that harvest demands, that G.W. became inspired to launch his own brand. This drive became so fierce that he left one of the most prestigious cellars in California to take a job at Moshin Vineyards which is a custom crush facility that would allow him to both manage their cellar and make his personal brand on the side. Thus, Lussier Wine Co. was born.