Our Vineyards
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Cole Creek Vineyard
There are 11 rows of Viognier that are harvested at the same time as the Syrah. All the grapes are co-fermented. The rows of vines have 6×4 spacing on 420A rootstock. The vines are VSP (vertical shoot positioned) and cane pruned.
AVA: Sonoma Coast
Soil: Very gravelly Felta clay loam
Varietal: Syrah
Clones: Syrah Alban Selection, Clone 174 and a special Australian selection, and 5.6% Viognier
Platt Vineyard
The Platt Vineyard is our coolest site, producing wine that is more focused and mineral driven than fruit driven. Located five miles from the Pacific off Bodega Highway, midway between Sebastopol and Bodega Bay, the vineyard sits at 800′ on a south-facing slope overlooking the Estero Americano (which funnels cooling marine weather to the Sacramento delta via the Petaluma Gap).
AVA: Sonoma Coast
Soil: Goldridge Loam uplifted from ancient ocean floor.
Varietal: Chardonnay
Clones: Platt was planted in 2003 Wente selection Chardonnay collected from one of our Hyde Vineyard blocks, the rows are densely planted (3′ and 4′ by 6′) on low-vigor rootstock (420A). In 2010, we removed the Chardonnay trunks from three acres of our 16 acre block and grafted Pommard and 828 Dijon Pinot Noir clones to the rootstock.
Ritchie Vineyard
Situated directly in the center of the Russian River appellation, our block of Kent Ritchie’s vineyard was planted in 1972 to the old Wente selection. Widely spaced—the fashion at the time—these old vines with their gnarly trunks produce tiny quantities of grapes per vine. The benchland soil is pure Goldridge Loam, common to great vineyards in this part of the Russian River Valley.
AVA: Russian River Valley
Soil: Pure sandy Goldridge Loam, originating from the bed of an inland sea
Varietal: Chardonnay
Clones: Wente selection
Rochioli Vineyard
The Rochioli family has lived on and farmed these vineyards for almost 80 years.
AVA: Russian River Valley
Soil: Yolo sandy loam and overwash, derived from sedimentary formation in alluvial fans
Varietal: Chardonnay
Clones: The Mid-40 block is clone 4 (planted in 1995) and clone 76 (planted in 1995 and 1998). River block is clone 5 (planted in 1998). The Allen Vineyard, which the Rochiolis have farmed for many years is clone 76 (planted in 2001 and 2005).
Rodgers Creek Vineyard
This unique property is on the western, cooler side of Sonoma Mountain, which provides the savory character that to us defines Syrah. Our block was planted to our specifications in 2002 and is positioned 800 feet up the southwest face of Sonoma Mountain, in the “Petaluma Gap” which sweeps cool Pacific air past on its way to the Central Valley. Poor volcanic soils and the cool weather limit yields to two tons per acre or less, and it is routinely the last or among the last of our sites to be harvested. This cool climate brings out the savory characteristics of the variety, as opposed to its jammy, fruity side. One finds here aromas and flavors of smoked meats, white pepper, green olive and grapefruit, with an almost Pinot-like texture and balance on the palate; in sharp and deliberate contrast to an overblown Shiraz style.
AVA: Sonoma Coast
Soil: Poor volcanic soils
Varietal: Syrah, Viognier
Clones: Syrah 877, with 5% Viognier
Westside Farms
The vineyard runs along the bank of the Russian River. The vines are in a north-south orientation, so they get excellent east-west sun exposure. The site is low lying and morning fog settles over the vines. This keeps the vines cool, so they retain beautiful natural acidity.
AVA:
Soil: Yolo sandy loam—an alluvial soil
Varietal: Chardonnay
Clones: Chardonnay clones include UCDavis 04 and two chardonnay musque selections, Rued and Spring Mountain. The musque selections have a floral, slight muscat-like character. The plantings from 1990 are on AXR-1 rootstock and are 14 X 8. The new block was planted in 2006. They are on O39-16 rootstock and are 12 X 8 spacing.
Woolsey Road Vineyard
This vineyard is owned by the Martinelli family and was planted to our specifications in 2007. It lies directly south of their winery on Woolsey Road. Vines are spaced at 6.5 x 3 feet. Rootstock is the low-vigor 420A and the vines are cane pruned.
AVA: Russian River Valley
Soil: Huichica clay-loam over clay
Varietal: Chardonnay
Clones: Old Wente cuttings were taken from our Chardonnay blocks in Platt Vineyard, which had been selected from the Hyde Vineyard.
Hudson Vineyard
B-Block planted in 2001. Located north of the Carneros Highway, 2 ¾ miles west of Hyde Vineyard, the terrain here is more rolling than that of Hyde, the soil lighter and more friable.
AVA: Carneros-Napa
Soil: Lighter Haire Clay Loam
Clones: Wente selection
Hyde Vineyard
Hyde Vineyard is situated on gently rolling slopes of the Carneros appellation, on the Napa side. The soils are quite heavy Haire Clay Loam about 30 inches deep with impenetrable clay subsoil which limits vine vigor and crop yield. Summer temperatures are kept relatively cool by marine air flowing through the Petaluma Gap. Ancient creek beds provide drainage and add a scattering of rocks. The Ramey Wine Cellars blocks of Chardonnay were planted between 1980 and 1999 and are Wente, Robert Young and Long field selections.
AVA: Carneros-Napa
Soil: Quite heavy Haire Clay Loam
Clones: Wente, Robert Young and Long
Jericho Canyon Vineyard
This is a 40-acre vineyard at the base of Mt. St. Helena, northeast of Calistoga. Very steeply terraced, it was planted in 1990 and 1993. The soil is a shallow clay-loam atop white volcanic ash, which provides excellent drainage and limits yields to between 1.4 and 2.7 tons per acre.
AVA: Calistoga
Soil: Shallow clay-loam atop white volcanic ash
Pedregal Vineyard
“Pedregal” means a rocky place in Spanish, and that is certainly a distinguishing feature of the site. This is a small, hillside vineyard on the lower slopes of eastern Oakville that’s planted to 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot. During 2008 we agreed to a long-term lease of this vineyard which gives us complete control even through any change in ownership. That year, we began directly farming the vineyard. Our farming team, headed by Doug Hill, planted this vineyard in 1990 and has farmed it continuously since.
AVA: Oakville
Soil: Iron rich red soil, 85% basalt rock
Clones: Cabernet Sauvignon – Clone 7 on St. George and 110R rootstock, planted with 4’x8’spacing in 1990. Petit Verdot – Sterling selection on 110R rootstock, planted with 4’x6′ spacing in 1993.
