Appellation Wines

ROSÉ, CALIFORNIA

We began making Rosé from Touriga Nacional in 2010. We were compelled by the grape’s deep color, brilliant acidity and aromatic complexity even at low sugar content. Touriga is a late-ripening Portuguese variety that needs some heat to mature, and we have sought out vineyards suited to this hearty variety.

The original fruit source came from the rocky volcanic soils of the Luchsinger vineyard, located at 1400′ in the Clear Lake AVA. In 2015, we added Touriga from St. Amant, planted in sandy granitic loam at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Amador County. In 2021 we discovered Touriga at St. Jorge vineyard in Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA, planted in granitic alluvial soils amidst steady delta breezes. We also utilized the intriguing Tinta Cão from this site, and in 2022 we added Trincadeira as well. In 2021 we began working with Touriga from the Pierce Ranch, situated in the remote San Antonio Valley of southern Monterey County, marked by sandy clay soils with white diatomaceous rock known as Monterey Shale. Additionally, we were able to source a small block of Grenache from the incredible Fenaughty vineyard situated at 2,800’ elevation in the Sierra Foothills above Placerville.

The fruit from all of these vineyard sites is hand-harvested, then lightly crushed by foot to release some color prior to pressing. The juice is fermented with native yeasts and full native malolactic in all stainless steel tanks, then blended together to harmonize prior to bottling in early January.

CALIFORNIA RED WINE

The second vintage of our California Red Wine is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc, and is inspired by California wines from a previous era. It is built from amazing low-yielding sites but made in an approachable style. The base of the wine is Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Bedrock Vineyard, expertly grown in rock-strewn soils in the heart of the Sonoma Valley. The majority of the Cabernet Franc in this blend hails from Persia Vineyard, located in an isolated valley in a rocky pocket of the Chalk Hill appellation, close to our beloved Clajeux Vineyard. The final component of this wine is a small batch of Cabernet Sauvignon along with a tiny bit of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, coming from the Las Cimas Vineyard, perched in the coastal hills overlooking the Russian River Valley.

These three amazing sites were harvested and fermented separately then aged in both neutral French oak barrels and a concrete tank for 10 months. The resulting wine is fresh and vibrant with bright aromatics, savory tannins and punchy dark fruit, and remains light enough on the palate to pair gracefully with a wide variety of foods at your table. Further aging is not required to enjoy this youthful wine but, if desired, it has the structure and framework to evolve with further cellaring.

TROUSSEAU

We began making Trousseau in 2009, when we discovered the variety growing at the Luchsinger Vineyard, situated at 1,400’ elevation in the Big Valley AVA of Lake County. The vines here are planted in rocky volcanic alluvium on the remains of an ancient riverbed, and Trousseau thrives in the warm days and cool nights characteristic of this area.  The remainder of the blend came from a new addition to our vineyard sources, Las Cimas Vineyard. Situated at 800’ elevation in the western hills overlooking the Russian River Valley, the soils here are made up of fractured sandstone dotted with quartz and schist. The vines are thriving in the combination of ample sun and daily cooling breezes from the Russian River Valley below. We appreciate this unique variety for its ability to make a wine that is light in color but packed with flavor, and we feel it is an extremely versatile wine that will pair well with a wide variety of foods and occasions.

SYRAH, SONOMA COAST

This cuvée exemplifies cold-climate Syrah grown on the rugged Sonoma Coast and is one of our hallmark bottlings.  A blend of four amazing sites grown on the coast: Clary Ranch, Que Syrah, Baker Lane and Solas vineyards. Syrah is well suited for life on the Sonoma Coast as the loose clusters and thick skins manage the cool, windy and often damp growing conditions well. The long slow growing season near the edge of the continent provides complete ripeness at low sugar levels, resulting in a wine of deep color that has intense fruit character loaded with an undercurrent of earth and spice. The vineyards are each harvested and fermented separately without destemming, then blended together for aging. This is the Syrah to enjoy in its youth while our single vineyard Syrahs mature in the cellar.

GAMAY NOIR, CALIFORNIA

We first began working with Gamay in 2011 as a collaborative effort with our friend Rajat Parr under the RPM label, until the final vintage for the RPM project in 2015. The original sources were Barsotti and Witters vineyards grown in the granitic soils of the Sierra Foothills, situated at around 3000’ elevation. In 2022 we were fortunate to begin working with Gamay from the Ascona Vineyard high up in the Santa Cruz Mountains at 2,500′ elevation. We employ the carbonic maceration technique where the uncrushed grapes are sealed up for several days, allowing the berries to begin fermentation from the inside out. This method is used by many of our favorite Beaujolais producers and adds a spicy fruitiness that infuses freshness and energy in the resulting wines.