A Movable Feast - Vintage Berkeley

A Movable Feast.


Hem & chauffeur at a Spanish riverside: no glasses required

2019 Blue Ox
"A Movable Feast"
Cabernet Franc


Normally: $35.

Our price: $25 for 1. Buy here.
Only $20 on 6! Buy here.
And only 
$15 by the case! Buy here!

TL; DR: Grab the bull by the horns! Get one of the freshest, most thoroughly Paris-in-spring-tuned Californian reds we've had in years: an organically farmed, single-vineyard Cabernet Franc from Berkeley's own Josh Hammerling... at *over* half-off its normal price! Case up... on a deal that would make Papa proud!



Spring in Paris. Riverside picnics.
The intemperate joy of youth.


Q: Can all that be in a bottle of wine?
A: Maybe?


All we know, having fallen head over heels for this Californian Cabernet Franc - is that there's a reason that Berkeley-based winemaker Josh Hammerling named his gulp-life-by-the-gallon-styled Cab Franc the way he did. Named for Hemingway's classic memoir of Paris in the 20's (recently a best-seller again... in France!), it's a wine that all but incarnates Papa's dictum:

“Drinking wine was not a snobbism nor a sign of sophistication nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and to me as necessary.”

Cab Franc's the parent to both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot; how's that for some over-performing children? Here in CA, the offspring often get all the limelight... but savvy Cali wine drinkers know that Cab Franc deserves a star turn all of its own! It's both the grape that defines the lithe and lissome Loire reds we adore (Chinon! Bourgeuil! Saumur!)... and the grape behind some of the most sought-after "Right Bank" Bordeaux in the world (e.g., Cheval Blanc, aka "The Greatest Wine on the Planetanyone?")!


Berkeley-based wine wunderkind Josh Hammerling

Are we saying that we have a soon-to-cost-$3000 Cheval Berkeley in our midst? No, no we are not! But when this bistro-tuned beauty of a grape is in the hands of a sensitive Californian winemaker? As here, in the case of Berkeley-based Josh Hammerling? The results are as elegant as they are eminently gulpable.

In a short period of time, Josh has garnered an enormous amount of attention as one of California's brightest new stars (e.g., when the SF Chronicle called him your favorite new winemaker.) His first incarnation was Blue Ox; but when, in Josh's words, "a distillery in Iowa (with the same name) claimed our wines would confuse customers seeking out their canned lemon vodka..." and brought a lawsuit, why, he took lemon vodka and made lemonade! 

What do we mean? Well, a) changed his name to Hammerling Wines and b) proceeeded to make us one of the craziest deals ever... allowing us to charge a paltry $15 for one of our absolute Californian faves... and a wine we used to sell for $35!

For "A Movable Feast," Josh sourced Cabernet Franc from the Santa Barbara area's organic Santa Ynez Valley Vineyard... but vinified the wine right here in west Berkeley! Made in a fresh, vibrant, and gulpable style, this wine was hand-harvested, hand-sorted, and naturally fermented (with some whole cluster inclusion, for added freshness). The result: a Pinot-weight wine that positively pops! Think: cherry and cran-strawberry notes, as well as fresh violets, black tea, crushed rocks, the barest hint of red pepper, and a savory mix of fresh herbs.

______

Q: Will my friends think I'm smart when I pair this with their roast chicken? A: Yes, yes they will.

Q: I think pairs are for poker; can I just chill this and drink it all by itself, on a brisk, blue, sunny day? A: Yes, yes you can.


Q: I'm getting married this summer and want a naturally made, stone-cold banger of a wine for a wedding price; should I... A: I'ma stop you right there - click (fast) on the 12-pack line, and get this while we've got it!
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Josh only made a measly 4 barrels of this... and we took the very last bits of it in existence! Get it while we've got it, and get in on one of the more extreme deals in naturally made Californian wine we'll offer all year!

Skip those plodding Pinots, and get Josh's Hem-vibed, bistro-tuned wonderment of "A Movable Feast" instead — 
at well over 50% off its usual price!



2019 Blue Ox
"A Movable Feast"
Cabernet Franc


Normally: $35.

Our price: $25 for 1. Buy here.
Only $20 on 6! Buy here.
And only 
$15 by the case! Buy here!