Les Lunes & Populis
Saturday, August 24th. 2-5pm. $10.
I’ve known Shaunt and Diego for over a decade now. Back in 2013, they were fresh out of the UC Davis winemaking school, ground zero for experimental ways to make wine less natural. But they were odd ducks. Having spent some time with the likes of Didier Barral and Philippe Valette in France, they knew about a different, older way of making wine, and in their search to find things they liked to drink, found themselves spending long evenings at Ordinaire. They would retreat to Shaunt’s parents’ basement in Orinda, where they had tunneled out a winery of sorts, and somehow conned the ABC into granting them a license. It felt like an urban winery you might come across in Saint-Aubin or Fleurie. Ten years and hundreds of bottles of Gamay later, they have transitioned to a much larger space in Richmond, and Molly Smith has joined as an assistant winemaker. They have expanded their production and now farm close to twenty hectares up and down the north coast of California. Scientists at heart, they light up whenever you ask about nitrogen fixation or the mysteries of reduction—each year they try new techniques both in the vineyard and in the cellar, always curious to see how they can make better, tastier, more uplifting wines.
As their winery has grown, they have also become key figures in the ever expanding social web of California natural wine—always there to lend a hand, some equipment, or just some advice to the next generation of people looking to push California natural wine forward. Earlier this year they graciously hosted the 9th Brumaire, and over the summer they invited fellow winemakers to pour at the winery, a tradition they adopted from the natural wine community in the Loire Valley. I can’t stress enough how important this aspect of their operation is: their generosity has made possible so much more than their own wines. And we all owe them our gratitude!
On Saturday, they will pour a selection of new releases from Populis, alongside three Les Lunes wines, including two cellar selections. We chose this lineup to highlight two stylistic poles. The Populis wines are fresh and fun, the result of creative blending and macerating to achieve maximum drinkability. The Les Lunes wines, on the other hand, are made in a much more traditional manner that harkens back to a California style that can feel marginal or almost non-existent in natural wine circles: bright, crystalline Chardonnay, juicy Zinfandel, and a structured yet refined blend of Cab and Merlot. They are very, very delicious.
We hope you’ll join us this Saturday! 2-5pm. $10.
2023 Populis Rosé $23
2023 Populis Macerated White $23
2022 Les Lunes Old Vine Zinfandel $26
2018 Les Lunes Barra Chardonnay $39
2018 Les Lunes Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot $46
-Bradford