Napa, California (September 7, 2017) –Acumen Wines, an Atlas Peak estate specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon, has appointed veteran winemaker Henrik Poulsen as Director of Winemaking and Executive Manager. Poulsen was associated with Acumen from 2013 to 2015, working closely with founding winemaker Denis Malbec, before taking a hiatus to focus on his own wines. Poulsen replaces Steve Matthiasson who served as winemaker following the death of Denis Malbec in early 2016.
“I’m thrilled to be back at Acumen and continue my work with the exceptional fruit that comes off our Atlas Peak vineyards,” noted Poulsen. “I’m also very grateful to Steve Matthiasson for pinch-hitting as winemaker following the tragic passing of Denis. Steve’s role in developing our vineyards made for a natural transition, and we were fortunate he was able to take on the winemaking responsibilities in the interim.”
A native of Denmark, Poulsen came to the Napa Valley in 2000 after a 13-month stay in Bordeaux. He worked at Newton Vineyards from 2000 to 2006 before joining Alpha Omega Winery as assistant winemaker. For seven years at Alpha Omega, Poulsen helped craft some of California’s most acclaimed wines. In 2013, Denis Malbec recruited Poulsen to work at Acumen for their first vintage together from the Atlas Peak estate.
Acumen was founded in 2012 when Eric Yuan and his family acquired a prized 32-acre vineyard on Atlas Peak from Dr. Jan Krupp of Stagecoach Vineyard fame. In searching for a vineyard that could produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, they considered a number of top Napa Valley vineyards before settling on Krupp’s property in the rugged Atlas Peak AVA in the Vaca Mountains of eastern Napa Valley. A second, 84-acre vineyard, just a half mile up the road, was acquired in 2014. Both vineyards are now certified organic.
The first Acumen estate wines from Atlas Peak, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignons, were released earlier this year. Additional information is available at www.acumenwine.com.
