m2 is a small producer of ultra-premium wines from distinctive vineyards throughout California. The winery was founded by Layne Montgomery and Chris Matheny who are also the winemakers, the cellarmasters, the barrel washers, the sales & marketing department, and the financial department. The name m2 was chosen for the name of the winery because ... well, you’ll figure it out.
Chris and Layne started making wine together in 2000. Their collaboration produced award-winning wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, and several Syrahs from different regions in California. They created m2 in 2004, and the 2004 vintage was the first year for their wines under the m2 label.
m2 currently produces about 1900 cases of wine per year.
m2 does not own vineyard land; we source our grapes from a variety of elite vineyards across California. This means we can make wines from grapes that are best suited to the region in which they were grown.
We believe the best Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Napa Valley, so we source our Clone Six Cabernet grapes from Rutherford. We think exceptional Zinfandel wines come from the “Old Vine” vineyards in the Lodi appellation, and that’s where our Old Vine Zin is grown.
The best wines come from the best grapes and we have built strong relationships with our growers to ensure that our wines are made with exceptional grapes. As m2 grows we will continue to search out exceptional vineyards for our wines.
m2's wines are made in small lots following traditional production methods enhanced by adoption of current best practices. m2's winemaking philosophy is to allow the fruit to express itself while making a balanced wine that is approachable and age-worthy.
We generally do not enter commercial wine competitions. We've got mixed feelings about it. On one hand, customers like to see ribbons and medals and wineries like to promote their extensive winnings; a ribbon or medal is external confirmation that the wine is considered to be good by someone. On the other hand, you don't see wineries touting their bronze medals, or their honorable-mentions, or the wines that didn't win anything.
Layne has what someone once politely called "a portfolio career," meaning he knows very little about a whole lot of stuff. His very first job was in an Arkansas cotton warehouse hand-writing receipts for each bale of cotton that came through the door. He holds a B.A. in broadcasting from Northern Arizona University with a minor in marketing. He worked in broadcast television (aka Tee-Vee) for about 15 years as a producer and director then as a marketing communication manager in the non-profit world. Currently his time is devoted to operations and winemaking duties for m2 along with a little free-lance writing and graphic design work to pay the cell phone bills.
Layne's experience with wine began in 1979 with a glass of Pink Catawba. Yes, there is such a thing. It was sort of like today's White Zinfandels, but not as good. His winemaking knowledge comes from a variety of places; mentoring by some of California's best winemakers, classes from UC Davis, lots of reading, lots of trial and error and lots of hard work.
Chris holds an MBA from Fullerton State University and is, or was, a CPA. His business career spans 30 years in financial planning and financial operations. He still holds a "day job" [except during winemaking season] as CFO for a construction manufacturer and supply company in Sacramento. Chris is responsible for the financial management of m2 as well as winemaking and special events, along with being lead sales guy and chief barrel washer.
Chris is m2's Bordeaux specialist and refuses to cut corners in pursuit of creation of th-e highest quality wines. His winemaking experience, in-depth knowledge of Bordeaux varietals, along with blending skills and a great palate comes together in a bottle of m2 wine.
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Layne, Karen, Diana and Chris, founders of m2 wines
Layne takes a hard look at a hydrometer reading.
m2 is a member of ZAP, Zinfandel Advocates and Producers
and Family Winemakers of California
