The father/son team of Jay and Seth Birnbaum recently purchased Sunrise Hill Vineyard- famous for a bevy of vineyard-designate bottlings from the likes of Boundary Breaks, Forge and Damiani- from Kathy and Bob Ruis, retaining Bob as vineyard manager. Given such continuity, it’s no surprise that the Birnbaums’ first bottlings, all 2024, are true to their grape varieties and a pleasure to drink.
The 2024 Blaufränkisch, at 12.8% alcohol, is to the fresher, brighter side of the American spectrum for this variety, although there's no shortage of plush, aromatic and savory qualities to the wine. What isn't here are the over-extraction and hard tannins that seem to dull many winegrowers' efforts. The Sunrise Hill plot has been a big component of Damiani's Blau over the years, and it's apparent already that it'll be a standout for the Birnbaum label.