2014 Calluna Vineyards CVC Bordeaux Blend Chalk Hill

Chalk Hill Perfection from the Protégé of Colgin’s Winemaker

In 2014, David Jeffrey of Wine & Spirits Top 100 winery Calluna Vineyards, crafted an opulent Bordeaux blend courtesy of Wine Spectator’s “dream vintage.” Add to that Jeffrey’s impressive credentials, which include stints with Bordeaux icon and Colgin Cellars consulting winemaker Alain Raynaud. This rich, sophisticated and plush, dark-berry red comes from a stunning hilltop site in Sonoma’s Chalk Hill AVA — a stone’s throw from 100-point Verité. Keep reading if you’re not familiar with Chalk Hill, but first, hit “Buy” before our limited allocation disappears.

Named after the chalky appearance of its volcanic soils, Chalk Hill, at the warmer eastern end of Russian River Valley, is where Bordeaux varieties thrive in Sonoma County. Put on the map in the 1980s by Chalk Hill Winery, the AVA’s prestige has been cemented by Verité, whose bank-breaking Bordeaux blends have racked up a slew of 100-point scores from Robert Parker.  

David Jeffrey had no ties to Chalk Hill. The East Coaster headed west to study at Fresno State’s prestigious Viticulture and Enology school, then to Bordeaux to learn from Dr. Alain Raynaud, the icon known for his work at Châteaux Quinault l’Enclos and Château Lascombes, and whose only stateside consulting relationship is with Napa cult wine Colgin Cellars. After soaking up Raynaud’s expertise, Jeffrey decided that his best opportunity to produce world-class Bordeaux-style wines lay in a lofty, 12-acre plot in Sonoma County’s prestigious Chalk Hill.

Now on Parker’s radar, David Jeffrey’s elegant Bordeaux blends are out to bolster the reputation of Chalk Hill, and are starting to make waves. Get in now, while we’re ahead of the pack on Calluna’s 2014 vintage.

• ABV 14.20%
• 1 hour
• Now – 2027
• % Bordeaux Blend
• Serving temperature – 62°