Michael Pozzan Wines

Michael Pozzan was founded by Michael and his wife Mary Ann with their first vintage from 1991. Their sons Matthew and Dante are also actively involved in the winery. Winemaking is part of their family heritage; Michael’s great grandfather planted grapevines in Piedmont, Italy in the late 1800s. Growing up in the Berkeley Hills (San Francisco Bay Area) Michael’s exposure to the world of wine was as a young child visiting his grandfather’s ranch in the Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg. His grandfather Frank Silvio Pozzan (married to Mary), was born in 1887 immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s from the small town of Schio near Vicenza in northern Italy. He was a bootlegger who lived in upstate Wisconsin (Hurley), worked in shipyards and eventually settled in California in 1940 and purchased the ranch after WWII.

As a child, Michael recalls helping deliver 4-liter jugs of wine his grandfather made for various friends and relatives. While the property in Dry Creek Valley is no longer owned by the family, Pozzan Road off of Dry Creek Road carries the Pozzan family name. And some of the original Zinfandel vines Michael’s grandfather planted in 1948 are still growing at the end of the road where the family lived. The earliest record we can find mention of Pozzan Road was a 1959 article in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Perhaps one of the most exciting things to happen on Pozzan Road was in February 1960, according to an article in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, more than 20 children from age 8 through their teens were held for questioning in regard to a wine party on Pozzan Road in which some of the stolen wine bottles from Vercelli Bros. Wine Co were buried in the yard.

Michael was a business major at Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga, (San Francisco Bay Area) and never enrolled in any wine making classes; rather his education came through the “school of learning by doing”. Prior to working in wine he was store manager at Black’s Market in Orinda, owned by Vasco Giannini from the 1950s through the 1980s, the father of Michael’s wife Mary Ann. Michael’s first stint in the wine world was as a sales rep for Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill, California. He recalls being interested in making wine and observing the process over a span of several harvests. But it wasn’t until as he puts it, “I started knocking on doors in Napa” that he began learning the basics of wine making. He acquired his first wines by purchasing barrels of wine from various vintners and then creating the final blends himself (a négociant model). And even today, the early relationships that Michael forged when he was purchasing barrels of wine as a négociant are still valuable. Vintners often offer him various lots of wine they think would be a good fit for his program.

The first commercial wines he released were 200 cases of a coastal grown Cabernet Sauvignon, bottled under the label Deer Springs. He no longer is producing wine under this label; today Michael focuses on several diverse labels including Michael Pozzan which also includes the Michael Pozzan Gold Series, Matthew Joseph, Marianna, Annabella, Dante and Sailor’s Grave. And what is truly remarkable, production has increased in some 25 years from 200 cases to approximately 125,000 cases today. And Michael Pozzan Wines has grown to now become the largest client at Napa Wine Company in Napa Valley (where they produce their wines).

Michael’s wine making philosophy has not wavered over the years; create wines that are affordable by many rather than a few and craft wines that are food friendly in style. He continues to do this regardless of vineyard source. Michael Pozzan does not own any vineyards used in their wines, rather they work with a number of growers in Napa Valley, Sonoma County and Lodi.

Michael told us his Chardonnays are the most difficult wines to make – not necessarily referring to the actual wine making but more so to people’s preferences. It is a wine that can be created in a number of styles; he has found that it’s a variety which people often have differing opinions on regarding preferred styles. As a result, he makes several Chardonnays including one from the Russian River and one from Napa Valley.

Some of the Napa Valley grown and produced wines found under the Michael Pozzan and Annabella (named for his grandmother) labels are some of the more affordable Napa wines on the market today.

Select Wines
Whites
The 2023 Michael Pozzan Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley is pale yellow in color; the tangy and generous bouquet is a union of both citrus, tropical floral influences and orchard fruits. These scents include pineapple, honeysuckle, star jasmine, citrus blossom, grapefruit zest, lychee, papaya, golden apples, nectarine and white peach. Minerally across the palate, it includes flavors of honeydew melon, Golden delicious apple, passion fruit, pear and white nectarine. Its mouth feel is lightly fleshy with a velvety textural feel. Lingers bright and juicy. This is a ‘Saturday everyday’ poolside and patio sipper kind of wine. We would love to pair this with one of our favorite shaved fennel salads dressed with olive oil, a light skosh of salt, vinegar and pepper. Keep it fresh, keep it simple, keep it delicious.

The 2022 Michael Pozzan Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast is deep gold in color; the bouquet offers an initial honeyed aromatic hit including of warm honey and honeycomb along with additional scents of baked apples, butterscotch, caramel, creme brûlée and glazed pineapple, an aromatic that reminds us of the smell of pineapple slices on our favorite dessert after it has been properly baked, a pineapple upside down cake. On the ripely fruited palate there are flavors of apricot, nectarine, yellow peach, mango, creme brûlée, butterscotch and a lingering note of toasted oak, hazelnut and cinnamon. Generous without being overbearing, these flavors are supported by a lightly viscous texture. Finishes with a persistent richness of flavor. This wine was aged for 10 months in French oak barrels. This wine pairs well with something as easy to make and enjoy as mac n cheese.

Reds
The 2020 Michael Pozzan Merlot, Napa Valley is deep ruby; the bouquet offers two parallel aromatic threads including primary notes of ripe fruit and secondary nuances from its barrel aging. These scents are of dark cherry, blackberry, dark mulberry and boysenberry with notes of mocha, espresso, roasted coffee beans, old cedar wood, dried herbs including thyme and milk chocolate. These aromatics are also echoed on the palate with layers of fruit flavors including dark cherry, blackberry and mulberry. This wine lingers with a creamy and plush texture of finely woven almost chalk-like tannins, a persistent note of dried tobacco leaf, roasted coffee beans and toasted oak. It was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels. Pair with a hearty beef stew including potatoes and other winter vegetables, a cold winter day and a roaring fireplace.

The 2022 Michael Pozzan Annabella Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, Sonoma County is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Merlot and 1% Petite Sirah with 93% of the grapes from Alexander Valley and 7% California appellated. This wine is medium to deep ruby in color; on the bouquet there are scents heavily leaning into the berry side of the aromatic spectrum. These include raspberry, boysenberry, Persian mulberry, blueberry, red currants and a light note of Tonka bean and dried cinnamon stick. The palate is primarily red fruited with flavors of plum, raspberry, cherry and boysenberry with a lingering sweetness of fruit. The finely polished tannins exude a satiny and soft character across the palate. This wine lingers slightly savory with a dried herbs, darker spices, lightly toasted oak and a subtle dusty character. Easy drinking. Pair with white fish or lighter meats including chicken. This wine was aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.

The 2020 Michael Pozzan Annabella Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley is deep ruby; the bouquet offers aromas of dark cherry, Satna Rosa plum, blackberry, damp potting soil, dark chocolate, crushed peppercorn, baseball mitt leather, roasted coffee beans and a persistent woodsy oak spice. This wine offers layers of flavor but without any heavy grip of tannins. It features ripe fruits including cherry, blackberry, boysenberry and dark plum with notes of dark chocolate, cocoa powder and toasted oak and darker spices. The tannins, while felt as if they are densely packed together, are rounded and soft. Both fruit, dark spices and light drying/chalky character persist on the finish. Pair this with a medium rare tri-tip from the BBQ.

The 2013 Michael Pozzan Marianna shows very pretty aromatics including a sweetness of fruit with notes of brown chocolate. Noted for its complexity and depth the palate reveals dusty characteristics and darker fruits including a briary blackberry note. Very good acidity. Each bottle is hand dipped in wax and wrapped in a protective tissue. The Marianna is a Napa Valley red blend in honor of his wife Mary Ann and her Italian heritage. Her father was born in Italy and would always refer to his daughter in Italian as Marianna. This wine sometimes sees a blend of the 5 primary Bordeaux red varieties, but the blend percentage varies from vintage to vintage.

Sailor’s Grave
Sailor’s Grave has been a sleeper hit in Michael’s wine portfolio. And it was his son Dante who created the idea and branding for this wine. Dante’s grandfather Byron Pozzan (Michael’s father) was a Merchant Marine born in 1925, who spent a lot of time at sea, accumulating numerous tattoos. Byron (died in 1995) and his wife Ruby owned and operated Angelo’s Market located at 10979 San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito for many years. Namesake of the grocery, Angelo Fara founded Angelo’s in 1914 and retired from the store in the 1960s. Byron married his daughter Ruby and began working at the market in the 1950s.

As a child Dante used to be enthralled with some of his grandfather’s stories of being at sea and in World War II including one story when his grandfather’s ship was torpedoed, and the surviving sailors drifted in the Pacific for 5 days on a life raft before being rescued. Connecting his grandfather’s stories and tattoos with the wine world, Dante found some images taken in the 1930s of tattoos of that era. Using one of the tattoos from the book as a model, their graphic designer adapted it somewhat to their wine label. If you look closely at the label depicting a man’s tattooed back, you will see the initials of both grandparents’ names on the arms of the man.

The 2021 Michael Pozzan Napa Valley Sailor’s Grave is a blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot. This wine is deep ruby; the bouquet sports aromas of cocoa powder, cherry, blackberry, bramble, dark chocolate and a woodsy spice. The aromatics alone might lead one to believe the palate will be ripe fruited, but this is not the case. This wine reveals flavors of red cherry, currant, red plums and dark raspberry. The lifted and juicy finish is mouth watering anchored by it bright acidity and red-fruited flavors. The tannins are grainy and chewy and still a bit tight at the time of our tasting; they broadly fill the palate with their youthful energy and continue to persist for quite some time, even beyond the fruit. They leave a drying/chalky texture that at this age, is perhaps best tamed with some protein. How about a Sirloin steak marinated overnight and then grilled on the BBQ with a base of Worcestershire & Soy sauce, Balsamic vinegar and a variety of dried herbs? Tasting this wine immediately after a couple of their other red bottlings was like going from the comfort of the slow lane to the race track.

The 2012 Michael Pozzan Napa Valley Sailor’s Grave is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon (from Stag’s Leap District) and 10% Zinfandel from Oakville. It was barrel aged for 20 months in French oak barrels. Inviting fruit driven aromas of blackberry and raspberry with a hint of sweet mocha begs one to take a sip. Fairly intense flavors include ripe blackberry are drawn out over a long finish framed by robust and somewhat grippy tannins.

Sailor’s Grave has been very popular among a certain age group (often 30–40-year-olds) and appeals to those have their own tattoos. The wine is not just about the stories or the label, but also about what is inside the bottle; it over delivers for the price point. Their first vintage of this wine was in 2010 – subsequent years saw the blend become more Bordeaux like with additional Bordeaux red varieties added. The challenge in growing a wine like this in high demand is finding reasonably priced vineyard sources while holding on to an already existing popular blend with consumers.

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An Oakville grown Zinfandel? Yes, you read that correctly. Michael is aware of only two producers in Napa Valley currently making an Oakville grown Zinfandel – himself and Napa Wine Company for both their Napa Wine Co and Ghost Block labels and to this we can add a third Oakville producer of this variety, Paradigm. Zinfandel used to be the most planted variety in the Napa Valley; today much of what remains of this variety in Napa County is in Calistoga and to a lesser extent on Howell Mountain. In Oakville the old Zinfandel vines have nearly all been replaced with Cabernet Sauvignon (the economics of the terroir dictate this).

The 2013 Michael Pozzan Oakville Zinfandel (Back Barn) spent 15 months in oak; this is a food friendly Zinfandel with somewhat restrained alcohol. The bouquet reveals notes of tobacco smoke, white pepper and a dusty nuance and are supported by a diversity of bright fruit aromatics including raspberry. Rounded on the entry with mouthwatering acidity this is a very lively wine in its youth with a broad palate appeal. A tiny bit of oak sweetness shows on the finish (aged in both American and French oak). As Michael says, “this is my affordable Tuesday night fish taco wine” – it is a rare wine (based on its source location) and a well-made Zinfandel that certainly won’t drain your bank account.

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Michael also owns a 5-acre Cabernet Sauvignon hillside vineyard on Franz Valley School Road, a few minutes’ drive from the center of Calistoga. This vineyard was originally planted to Zinfandel in the 1880s; its most recent replant was in 2010 to Cabernet Sauvignon. At least one other small Napa Valley based brand also sources from this vineyard. Other premium vineyards along Franz Valley School Road include Heritage School, and vineyards owned by Grgich Estate, Summit Vine and Levy & McClellan.

Franz Valley School Road, Franz Valley Road and Franz Valley are named in honor of Captain Frederick Franz who settled in nearby Franz Valley, Sonoma County in 1857 with his wife Sarah. The deed to his property was dated January 31, 1857. He built a basic road into Knights Valley which was eventually known as the Captain’s Road and constructed a home. Their daughter Minnie was born in the home and lived here almost all of her life until passing in 1931. The home lasted until 1964 when it was completely burned in the Hanley Fire. Frederick and Sarah are buried in the St. Helena Cemetery.

Napa Tasting Room
Michael Pozzan used to pour their wines at Napa Wine Co until that tasting room transitioned into showcasing wines from Ghost Block Estate Wines. Michael Pozzan opened a small tasting room by appointment in downtown Napa in early May 2024. The grand opening party, which we attended, was held on Thursday May 2nd. This space is a few minutes’ walk from 1st street and is located at 1205 Randolph Street. This space was previously home to an auto body business; customers of the autobody shop who visit today, will no longer recognize the space after significant renovations were made.

Tastings are held twice a day and are always hosted with family members. The tasting room is a separate space within the building (owned by Michael Pozzan), which also houses their offices. A cleverly designed speak-easy designed door connects the tasting room with their offices.

Distribution focuses on restaurant and retail outlets; the wines are in some of the larger wine stores around the country including at BevMo! on the west coast. Distribution is throughout 43 states as well as selectively in China, Japan, Korea, and Singapore.

Michael is also a ‘foodie’ and lists some of his accompanying recipes with some of his wines on the website. For more information, to schedule a tasting, to purchase wines or to join one of two wine clubs, Pozzan Wine Club or Reds Only, with two shipments twice a year of 4 bottles each, visit: www.michaelpozzanwinery.com