Aum Cellars

Aum Cellars is owned and operated by Peter Hoffman, a fellow Cal Poly, SLO graduate who also shares the same somewhat esoteric major as us, a Bachelor of Science, Ecology, Systemic Biology. Peter grew up in and around what was at the time one of California’s largest vineyards in Rancho Cucamonga (Southern California). His family has been involved in agriculture or outdoor pursuits for generations; his father grew avocados and citrus, his grandfather worked in the timber industry and his great grandfather raised horses.

Peter remembers a next door neighbor made wine in his garage; Peter’s father was a ‘wine geek’ and also made wine in their garage. Peter’s first experience making wine was with his father at age 11. That same year (1979) his father invited Peter on a road trip to Napa Valley. They both stopped at Inglenook where his father purchased a number of cases of Inglenook wines from the 1970s.

Fast forward a number of years; knowing that he wanted to do something with agriculture he attended Cal Poly which was before they even offered their wine and viticulture program. Today the state-of-the-art J. Lohr sponsored teaching winery is located on campus. During his time in college, he started becoming interested in wine, especially Syrah and made his first wine while at Cal Poly.

Peter’s father still had the cases of wine from Inglenook. He gifted four cases to Peter, encouraging him to sell them to to help raise money for college. So while driving up to San Luis Obispo from Rancho Cucamonga, Peter stopped at a wine shop in Santa Barbara and asked the owner if he wanted to purchase some wines from Inglenook. The owner asked what the sale price was for wines; Peter said $700 with the intention to sell a case for that price. The owner said, I’ll take the 1974 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon. Peter was very happy with that price. But the owner returned and said he would take three bottles of the 1975 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon; he handed Peter a check for $2,100.

While living on the Central Coast, Peter discovered Alban Vineyards, producers of fine central coast Rhone based wines including Syrah. Peter fell in love with this variety and found himself planting Syrah for a local vintner. This turned into additional vineyard management work and soon he was managing high end vineyards that were producing grapes for some premium area wineries including Santa Barbara based Sine Qua Non.

As Peter told us, he took a ten-year detour to actually start making commercial wine. However, with prior management of large-scale vineyards, his experience was in demand and was hired to come to Napa Valley to oversee grower Andy Beckstoffer’s vineyard holdings in 1997. In 1999, 30 years after his first trip to Napa Valley, he took a job at Stag’s Leap Cellars as a vineyard manager. Later he taught viticulture classes at Napa Valley College and was a Grower Relations Representative for Treasury Wine Estates. Today he provides viticulture consulting services.

In 2000 Peter started making home wine and released his first commercial vintage in 2003. All wine as of our latest update to this review are bottled under the Aum Cellars label. Peter produces his wines organically and biodynamically and became officially certified in 2010. Due to personal allergies his wines always contain low amounts of sulfites.

Peter takes a minimalist approach to winemaking, rather letting the variety and vineyard characteristics show. His wines are unfined and unfiltered (vegan style according to Peter) and indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation. The winemaking is as gentle as possible with manual punch-downs and no pump-overs during fermentation. In addition, he maintains long term leases on vineyards to ensure fruit sources remain fairly consistent. Peter also sometimes sources grapes from outside of Napa Valley, for other varieties that tend to grow better in different growing regions. The Aum wines are primarily released very young.

The wines of AUM Cellars are always balanced with the focus on the varietal characteristics rather than oak. Peter compares the use of too much oak on wines to a woman who is already beautiful but uses heavy makeup. His wines are about expressing the beauty of both the site and the variety. These are distinctive and inspired wines, each bottling with its own personality. And that is uniquely refreshing in contemporary Napa Valley where distinctiveness is often bred out by over ripeness.

Select Wines
Aum Cellars used to produce a proprietary blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Muscat and Pinot Blanc but has since transitioned into producing a single varietal, Sauvignon Blanc.

Pinot Noir
The 2018 Aum Cellars Pinot Noir, Russian River Sonoma County (Sonoma) “Deep Throat” Calera clone is medium ruby in color; the bouquet offers a appealing union of both spice and fruit characters. These include scents of red cherries, Santa Rosa plum, strawberry and currant accompanied by white pepper, dried sage, old baseball mitt leather, dried mushroom and creosote. This wine is easy drinking and showing very well 6 years post vintage at the time of our tasting. But in its youth it was not always this way; Peter bottle ages this wine for several years in bottle prior to release because this clone in particular needs a few years to fully integrate. In a blind tasting, we would list this as a ‘crowd favorite’. On the palate there are flavors of cherry, raspberry, red plum, tonka bean, red licorice and strawberry. The finish lingers with a light note of dried herbs. The tannins are resolved, rounded and perfectly integrated into the supple but brightly lit finish. We would enjoy drinking this on a mid fall evening alongside the natural hot springs in Saline Valley, a part of Death Valley, one of our favorite places in California to get away from it all. And also where we were engaged.

Cabernet/Malbec
The 2022 Aum Cellars Cabernet/Malbec is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon; this wine is deep ruby in color. The nose reveals aromas of cherry, plum, and dark raspberry, along with notes of vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and Graham cracker. The palate sports energetic, crunch, juicy and mouthwatering acidity. Red fruited, the palate reveals flavors of currant, cranberry, sour cherry, and under ripe plum. Lingers savory with a light herbal character, a red-fruited tartness and light grainy tannins which persist beyond the fruit. The alcohol is 13.8%. This wine has loads of life ahead of it.

Charbono
Peter first tried Charbono in 2015 from a small producer in Sonoma County; intrigued by its profile he reached out to Jim Frediani of Frediani Vineyards in Calistoga in June 2015. Jim informed him that he had a wait list for the old-vine Charbono and he would add Aum Cellars to it. Years went by and Peter forgot all about his request. Then in 2023 Frediani called and informed him the Charbono was now available from the oldest block in his vineyard, 100+ year old vines.

The 2023 Aum Cellars Frediani Vineyard “Suck me Sideways” Barrel Select Reserve Charbono is the inaugural vintage of this variety. This wine is deep purple in color and completely opaque. Higher toned but sweetly fruited, the aromatics include boysenberry preserves, blackberry, blueberry, plum jam, currant, Persian mulberry and dark chocolate. The aromatics are fresh, lively and filled with fruit. The focus here is clearly on the varietal typicity rather than oak as it was aged for a short time in once and twice filled oak barrels. The palate is brightly lit, juicy and mouth watering. Like the bouquet, the palate is also red and blue fruited. It offers flavors of Santa Rosa plum, cranberry, currant, red cherry, blueberry and assorted herbs including dried sage. This wine drinks surprisingly well in its youth; already bottled and released, we tried this only a year post vintage. The tannins are rounded with a light grainy texture and linger with a persistent dusty character noticeable more so on the front of the palate than the back. Steak, summer evening and a BBQ please.

Malbec
The 2023 Aum Cellars F-ing Fabulous Malbec Napa Valley (Coombsville) is appropriately named; those who try this wine will certainly agree. It is medium purple in color with an amaranthine rim; the beautiful bouquet is immediately wide open and highlights assorted berry aromas include boysenberry, blueberry, blackberry and dark raspberry with some light baking spices including cinnamon stick and perhaps surprising, a light note of honeycomb (a consistent aroma across several bottles we tried). From the aromatics one might think the palate would be a riper expression of this variety but that is not the case. Higher toned, the palate reveals flavors of raspberry, red plum, cherry cola, strawberry and notes of white pepper and dried sage. And while Malbec expresses well in warmer climates, this wine showcases plenty of freshness as it is from a warm site within cooler Coombsville, a sub appellation that is not as warm as compared to up valley. The well-integrated and rounded tannins linger with a light chalky/dusty and minerally character. This wine is showing exceptionally well in its youth.

Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2022 Aum Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Atlas Peak F-Me is 100% varietal, a blend of clone 7 and Concannon clone from vines 35ish year old; this wine is deep ruby in color. The bouquet smells elegant with aromas of currant, cranberry, red cherry, red licorice and red plums with an accompanying minerally and chalky character. Vivacious, the palate sings brightly in terms of both acidity and red fruits. Its flavors include currant, red cherry, plum and cranberry. The chalkiness we picked up on the bouquet is even more evident on the palate. Lingers with grainy and gravelly tannins and a chalky dusty character which outpaces the fruit on the finish. This wine is a refreshing 13.4% alcohol. The mouthwatering finish asks for another sip. One of Peter’s clients from Texas tasted one of his wines and said, “f**k me” after drinking it; this inspired Peter to name this bottle F-Me. This wine was only made in 2022 and 2023.

The 2005 Aum Cellars is 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignon, clone 7 from a vineyard in St. Helena. Clone 7 offers plenty of fruit but showcases moderate tannins. In terms of alcohol this is not contemporary Napa Valley; the listed alcohol is only 13%. This is the type of style wine that Peter is passionate about; food friendly and has the ability to age for many years. The higher acidity highlights and complements certain types of food, especially fatty meats and creamy sauces. One sommelier called the nose on this a chocolate cake; the aromas include notes of chocolate aromas and assorted other dark spices including of crushed peppercorn. The palate features attractive fruit including flavors of raspberry, plum and red cherry. This wine has a rounded mouth feel with soft delicate tannins. It is very age worthy.

The 2006 Aum Cellars Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of different clones each of contributes a specific character to the wine. As Peter says, you want a clone which “brings a hint of corruption to a good Cabernet Sauvignon.” We have enjoyed muscular Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon featuring robust tannins, which when consumed by themselves in their youth are almost like a meal. This is not one of these bottlings, rather this wine style features rich fruit forward characteristics without the ‘muscle’. However, this wine will be able to carry itself longer due to its higher acidity. It is darker than the Aum Cellars St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon of the same vintage; this wine is aged in more new oak than its St. Helena valley floor counterpart. Nuances of chocolate on the nose lead to a palate rich in dark fruit including blackberry and blueberry. The structured tannins are well balanced, dense yet rounded in their youth.

Sexy Series, Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2022 Aum Cellars Sexy Bitch Cabernet Sauvignon (100% varietal) is from the 1.75 acre Smoking Man Vineyard located on Mt. George. This vineyard takes its name from the rock profile above Highway 121 which resembles the image of a man; someone installed a metal ‘pipe’ between the ‘lips’ years ago and the profile of this rock resembles a man smoking. This wine is deep ruby and nearly opaque; the initial aromatic hit is moody, dark and savory and takes some time to evolve. But as it opens the fruit starts showing including scents of plum, sage, shishito pepper and currant. On the palate there are flavors of bright berries including lingonberry, cranberry along with red currant. Fresh, this wine sings brightly from the entry through the finish. The tannins are rounded, and linger with a light dusty character. Very much a food friendly bottling. Lamb please. Peter calls this the, “friendly Cab” and we see why. The grapes for this wine were from cane pruned vines, growing grapes in large clusters with larger berries, resulting in a higher pulp to skin ratio. Compared to the Sexy Bastard from the same vineyard, this wine is always more feminine in style. The alcohol is 13.9%.

The 2022 Aum Cellars Sexy Bastard Cabernet Sauvignon (100% varietal) from the Smoking Man Vineyard is deep ruby in color; despite the alcohol slightly lower in this vintage than the Sexy Bitch bottling of the same year, the bouquet appears a little riper. It offers scents of blackberry, boysenberry, Persian mulberry and dark chocolate. On the palate there are flavors of red plum, cherry, boysenberry and blackberry. Unlike the Sexy Bitch which is from cane-pruned vines, Sexy bastard is from spur pruned vines resulting in more shoots, tiny clusters and small berries with more skin to juice ratio. And one can feel that texturally in a big way. The firmly gripping, pixelated and edgy tannins in their youth, persist for quite some time on the extended finish, far outlasting the fruit. The energetic acidity whirls like a spinning top. This wine is 13.7% alcohol. This is Peter’s go to steak wine. Yes. BBQ please.

The 2021 Aum Cellars Sexy MF Cabernet Sauvignon from the Smoking Man Vineyard is deep ruby and opaque; dark fruited and well-layered the bouquet offers aromas of dark plum, blackberry, boysenberry, and Persian mulberry with a hint of cinnamon stick. The focus here is clearly on the fruit with the oak providing a light and supporting character. As dark fruited as on the bouquet, the palate, reveals flavors of dark plum, blackberry and boysenberry. The brambly fruit persists with firmly gripping, grainy and still edgy textured tannins at this age. Lingers with a persistent dusty and chalky character and assorted dried herbs. This is a big boy but with a simultaneous freshness. Or one might call it a Texas lovers steak wine. Often with masculine Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, a generous influence of oak is expected. But with this wine, be surprised.

The nomenclatural roots of this wine resulted from a tasting with clients. An elderly gentleman who Peter estimated to be in his late 80s tried this Cabernet Sauvignon before it was named. At the time Peter referred to this wine as Sandy’s, paying homage to the owner of the vineyard. But when the man tried the wine, he immediately blurted, “this is a sexy mother f@#$#r”. Peter liked the man’s gut reaction verbiage and ultimately used his description for the name of the wine.

The beautiful and colorful label was designed by Napa local tattoo artist, Rob Struven, the owner of Garage Ink Studios. The label incorporates the Om/Aum Sanskrit symbol in the upper right hand corner. Om is the sound of vibration, the connective tissue binding the entire universe.

The Caves at Soda Canyon
Peter bonded a very small winery on the slopes of Mt. George and is where he previously made his wines. Today he produces the wines at The Caves at Soda Canyon, a premium underground winery that offers both production and hospitality space for a limited number of small wineries. The property is located in Atlas Peak; while only around a 20-minute drive from downtown Napa, the feel here is definitely hillside remote. We first visited many years ago when it was just under the initial stages of construction. Our early visit was with visionary for The Caves at Soda Canyon, vintner Ryan Waugh who was accompanied by winemaker Craig MaClean.

It opened in late 2013 and initially its focus was a production space with limited hospitality available for wines produced by the original four founding winery members: Waugh, Lobo, Patland and Buoncristiani Family Winery. In 2020 a wing of the cave finally opened for hospitality; over the years the cave is now used for both production and hospitality by additional small family-owned brands. One can make an appointment directly with these brands to taste only their wines, including Aum Cellars, or one can make an appointment directly with The Caves at Soda Canyon (where a tasting will highlight select wines from some of the producers).

In the face of natural disasters, this winery has two strong advantages, and it has already been tested twice since opening. Advantage number one is its underground location and advantage number two is it is built into what essentially looks like a giant rock pile. The winery survived the Napa earthquake of 2014 without loss of product (despite significant damage to the relatively nearby city of Napa) and during the Atlas Peak fire of October 2017, again the interior was safe as the fire did not enter the cave, yet it burned all the landscape around the winery and even partially melted some of their outside tanks and the asphalt of their parking lot.

This winery offers a luxurious and well lighted interior alcove for tastings (one of our pet peeves is always caves with bad lighting – one will not find that here), as well as a beautiful space on an outdoor terrace overlooking much of the central to southern part of the valley including the San Francisco skyline seen in the distance on an exceptionally clear day. An upper outdoor space can also be used for tastings and offers expansive vistas of the southern part of Napa Valley. The wines of Aum Cellars are available for tastings at the Caves at Soda Canyon and are hosted private for your party.

Guests looking for a unique tasting experience, can inquire about booking a several hour wine + food experience, featuring the wines of Aum Cellars while enjoyed cruising around the Napa River on a 50-foot Catamaran Yacht (a minimum of 6 guests, a maximum of 12).

The early vintages saw a total production of just several hundred cases annually. Today annual production is usually between 1,000 and 1,500 cases. And in the beginning, the wines were primarily sold through wine stops and other retail outlets. Around 2008, during the economic downturn Peter transitioned his sales model into primarily direct to consumer and started a wine club. One prominent retail outlet that still carries his wines is DCanter – A Wine Boutique, located in Washington DC.

For more information and or to join the wait list, visit: www.aumcellars.com