Eckert Estate Winery
By Laura Ness

On the premises of the old Hansen Ranch, Eckert Estate Winery is an evolving piece of Livermore’s rich winemaking history.  Set right next to Rik Hansen’s recently planted vines and olive trees, Michael and Vickie Eckert’s winery and tasting room looks out over the newly completed million-dollar-plus homes that perch like cats on the hillside, waiting for a mouse. 

In Search of a New Sensation

Winemakers love to get their hands on something new. And Michael Eckert is no exception. He eagerly seeks out new varieties that can add depth to his already richly flavored estate-grown wines, and at the same time can add breadth to his seemingly ever-expanding repertoire. He’s like a watercolorist walking into an art store and discovering a new color of paint: look, a Barbaric Red! Only in his case, it would more likely be Barbera, one of the Italian varieties that are slowly gaining a foothold on Californian wine lists and wine store shelves. Eckert Estate is only one of three dozen wineries to bottle Barbera, and only one of a dozen to bottle Charbono, of which there are a whopping 80 total acres planted in all of California. Barbera is a zippy, high-acid, low tannin thriller from Italy’s Piedmont region. It loves tomatoes, and Michael has made a silver medal-winning example that will do your lasagna, pizza, or goat-cheese stuffed grilled heirlooms proud. Another excellent food wine, the Eckert 2001 Charbono leaps into your nose with sweet cherry fruit and a tantalizing hint of sage and basil. Again, a high acid-low tannin red, Charbono has an aversion to ripening. This means it never gets the sugars that result in high alcohol. At 12.4% alcohol, this is a wine you can drink responsibly without even thinking about it.

A Few Spare Canes, A Few Thousand Cases

The Eckerts originally had ranching in mind when they bought their property off Arroyo Road back in the early 90s, but things all changed after one moonlit evening at a winemaker’s dinner. Already an avid home winemaker, Michael just happened to be chatting with Bob Taylor of Retzlaff Estate Wines, who mentioned that he had just pruned his Cabernet. How about a few canes? And just like that, Michael was in the vineyard business, producing his own estate fruit. First Cabernet, then Petite Sirah (from Concannon), then Zin (from the now paved over Graham vineyard), then Mourvèdre (cuttings from Thomas Coyne): one good vine deserves another. Pretty soon they had enough wine to share with friends, and then, too much to store in the barn. That’s when the inevitable happened: Eckert Estate was bonded in 2000, their tasting room opened in 2001, and they’re already looking to remodel and expand. Do you know how much room four thousand cases takes up? 

A Full Stable of Pretty Ponies

Michael may have originally moved to Livermore to raise horses, but he wound up with a stable that runs the gamut from Chardonnay to Port, with everything you’ve heard of, and many that have yet to cross your lips. Oh, Michael makes a righteous thoroughbred of a Merlot, a classic pepper-driven racehorse of an estate Cabernet, and a fruity bucking bronco of a Zinfandel, but he really shines when you give him a lesser known crayon with which to color.

Beyond Barbera and Charbono, Michael is also a big fan of Malbec, a workhorse Bordeaux variety typically used in blends to impart richness, tannin, color, spice and depth. The 2001 Eckert Estate Malbec is intensely cassis and black-raspberry-flavored, with powerful cocoa overtones. If you taste just one wine here, it should be this one. But why would you taste just one, when there are so many to choose from? Let’s look at some of the others. You’d probably start with the 2000 Viognier, an aromatic summer white delight that is stainless steel fermented, and a tasting room favorite. Then there is a big, full-blown buttery-rich palomino of a Chardonnay, oozing style and pedigree. Another crowd favorite is the 2001 Petite Sirah, which is brimming with luscious blackberry jam fruit, powerful but balanced tannins, and a pleasing hint of mint on the finish. This draft horse red is a must-have for all Pet fans. Although Syrah has become a household word, it still hasn’t caught on with the California consumer, which is a pity. There’s no reason not to like the 2000 Eckert Syrah with its smoky, meaty nose, and big, silky cherry and herb flavors. It’s the mustang of the group: sleek, nimble, and ready for anything. And then there is the paint pony of the lot: the Ensemble red. At $10, this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane, Zin, Syrah and Petite Sirah, is pleasingly big on flavor, balanced on the tannins, and just right on the price. The lively strawberry fruity nose comes from the Carignane, which follows on the palate with a delightful cherry almond core. The Syrah and Petite give it just enough drama to keep it interesting, kind of like a one-hour TV cops and lawyers show. And speaking of drama, he’s about to release his long-awaited Mourvèdre.

Meet The Family Circle

But enough about the wine already, let’s talk about the family. Michael and Vickie, who are Bay Area natives--she from Livermore, he from Hayward--have lived in the area all their lives. You’ll find them at the tasting room pretty much every weekend. Vickie’s brother, Dwight Estes, is also a regular at the winery, and frequently pours the lineup from behind the tasting bar. The circle of friends is a critical one also, helping pick, sort, crush and bottle. When you’re a small family operation with a 4K case production, you can use all the help you can get.

The Eckert’s two children, daughter Patti, 9, and son, Aaron, 11, are active participants in the winery operation, helping with everything from answering phones and occasionally taking messages, to wrapping purchases in the tasting room. They also help with labeling during bottling time, and most importantly, they are expert pickers during harvest.

Bonus Attraction: Olive Oil

The winery and tasting room are located amidst olive orchard. An added bonus at the Eckert Estate tasting room is that you can sample the estate produced olive oil which Rik Hansen crushes in the onsite mill. You can also tour the olive mill, or just sit out under a canopy with a loaf of bread, a dish of Mission olive oil, and a glass of Eckert Ensemble. That’s a winning combination that the French can’t shake a stick of Brie at. And it’s only in Livermore.  

Eckert Estate Winery
240 Arroyo Road
Livermore, CA 94550
Tel: 925-371-8606