{"title":"Absentee Winery","description":"\u003cp\u003eAvi Deixler launched Absentee Wines in 2016, initially crushing his first vintage at a shared facility in Sebastopol before obtaining county permits to operate from a converted dairy farm on Point Reyes-Petaluma Road in Marin County. His winery became the only registered winery in the North Marin Wine District. Before starting Absentee, Deixler worked at Rudd Estate in Napa and completed internships in Burgundy (where a connection with Baptiste Cousin in Anjou was formative), in Corbières with John Schmitt, and at Domaine des Gandines in the Maconnais. His approach draws influence from Sonoma natural wine pioneer Tony Coturri.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDeixler sources all fruit from Poor Ranch in Hopland, Mendocino County, a sixth-generation family operation homesteaded in 1888. The ranch has over 1,000 acres and dry-farms its vines without irrigation on St. George rootstock. Organic practices have been in place since the ranch's inception in the 1970s. Vines range from 10 to 40 years old, with the oldest Carignan block planted in 1942. Elemental sulfur is the only treatment applied in the vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the cellar, Deixler ferments whole clusters in used oak barriques that he hand-sands to fresh wood grain before each fermentation to eliminate any residue or contamination from prior use. Barrels are sealed and rolled every few days during a two-week maceration. After pressing, wine rests in the same barrel for approximately one year. No commercial yeast, fining agents, filtration, or added sulfur are used. Wines ferment and stabilize on native yeasts only.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"red-absentee-wines-mendocino-county-california-natural-wine","title":"Absentee Wines Red 2016","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe 2016 Red from Absentee Wines is a field-style blend of Carignan, Syrah, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Abouriou sourced entirely from Poor Ranch in Hopland, Mendocino County. Poor Ranch is a sixth-generation family farm homesteaded in 1888, with sandy soils, dry-farmed vines on St. George rootstock, and organic practices dating to the 1970s. The Carignan block at Poor Ranch dates to 1942, and the vines used for this wine are between 10 and 40 years old.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWinemaker Avi Deixler ferments whole clusters in raw oak barriques that he hand-sands on the interior before each use to expose fresh wood grain and eliminate residues from prior fermentations. The barrels are sealed and rolled every few days during a two-week maceration. After pressing, the wine returns to the same barrel for approximately one year. No commercial yeast, fining agents, or added sulfur are used at any stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAbouriou, known in California as Early Burgundy, is a Southwest French variety that contributes deep color, black fruit density, and structure to the blend. Petite Sirah adds grip and inky pigment, while Carignan brings red fruit brightness and acidity. Syrah and Zinfandel round out the mid-palate with spice and body. At 14.5% ABV, the wine reflects Mendocino's warm inland growing conditions at Hopland.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with no added sulfites. Slight effervescence may be present in some bottles due to residual native yeast activity — let it sit open a few minutes if preferred still.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Absentee Winery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":13029261803575,"sku":"ABSEWRED16C","price":34.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/files\/red-absentee-wines-mendocino-county-california-natural-wine_d6755dd3-829a-4495-ad87-05b50c3bdb87.jpg?v=1780658375"},{"product_id":"absentee-wine-red-natural-wine","title":"Absentee Wine Red 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eAbsentee Winery's Red is crafted from a blend of Carignan, Syrah, Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, and Abouriou grapes from dry-farmed vineyards in Hopland, Mendocino County. The wine undergoes a two-week whole-cluster maceration and aging in French oak barriques. It is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without added sulfites​.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Absentee Winery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49398116090072,"sku":"absentee-red","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/files\/absentee-winery-red-california-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1780285559"}],"url":"https:\/\/primalwine.com\/collections\/absentee-winery.oembed","provider":"Primal Wine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}