Our story begins in 2011 when a little Pinot Noir Vineyard in the Russian River Valley was in search of an owner to care for its needs, nurture its vines and take an emotional interest in the fruit it produced. We were the lucky ones to have the opportunity to revive this precious gem, Vineyard eleven. Originally, Vineyard eleven was a 21 acre ranch with 10 planted acres with two distinct growing
...blocks; Block #1 growing clones 667 and 115; Block #2 growing clone 828. Pinot Noir is primarily associated with the Burgundy region in France. The name is derived from the French word Pine (Pinot) describing the tight clusters shaped like a pine cone and Noir which describes the dark rich color of the grapes. Out of all the varietals, Pinot Noir is one of the finickiest. It is thin skinned making it, at times, tricky to farm and characteristically produces low yields. It grows best in cool coast climates with well drained soils similar to those found in the Russian River Valley. What so many love about Pinot Noir is the red berry profile, accented with spices, cherries, strawberries, raspberries and the underlying scents of the earth that tell the story of the Russian River Valley. Others love the varietal simply because it shows no prejudice and pairs well with a variety of fish, duck, pork, veal, chicken, lamb, and, unlike other varietals, can be enjoyed in any season. It was with mixed emotion that at the end of harvest 2014 we made the decision to replant Vineyard eleven. With all the tender loving care, soil enhancements, and attempting every “trick in the trade”, it became apparent that our vineyard was suffering from a virus that was first given the name in 2013 as Red Blotch (which limits the vines ability to make sugar). Although the vines have historically produced high quality fruit and were sourced for labels such as Kosta Brown, Gary Farrell, Paul Hobbs, Orogeny, Evening Land and Sanglier Cellars, the vines were showing the full effect of the virus, struggling to reach the desired brix (sugar) level for many winemakers in the appropriate time period. Although the fruit produced was loved by so many and with the symptoms of the virus becoming more apparent from the onset of the 2014 growing season, we decided to begin Block # 2 replant at the end of 2014 year’s harvest. This new block has now been planted with Heritage Clones; Mt. Eden and Swan and has been renamed “The Heritage Block”. We are so fortunate to have found a home for the fruit from Block #1 in 2015 2016 and 2017 with J Winery, where they will use our 115 and 667 Pinot Noir clones to craft some of the best sparkling wines in Sonoma County. Sparkling wine is the perfect home for our grapes as it is harvested at a lower brix level than still wine. After the 2016 harvest we will begin the replant on this block and are currently making final decisions as to which Pinot Noir clones will be planted. This block will be renamed to “The Red Barn Block” anchors the block at the southern edge. The next part of our journey was not an initiative we had expected so soon, however, we are very excited with the opportunity. Starting from a blank canvas and are working closely with some very well-known winemakers to help us in creating a Russian River Pinot Noir vineyard that will tell a distinctive story..a story that will be unique to anyone who experiences the wine that is produced from this special place. We hope you will enjoy our posts as we embark upon the next chapter of our vineyard’s journey in the Russian River Valley.
