SONOMA COUNTY

It’s an exhilarating time of year in Sonoma County. As we feel the seasons change and move forward barreling down this year's vintage, we are diligently tasting through the next round of wines slated for release. We were so impressed with how beautifully the Cabernet was showing – it turns out we weren’t alone! The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon won a Double Gold & Best in Class at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair & Gold at the Houston International Wine competition!

This Cabernet is such an exciting wine for us on a few different levels. Not only is this is our first release of Cabernet since 2008, it’s also the debut our newest Family member - our Sonoma County Cabernet. Guy has been trialing, testing and tasting, tirelessly throughout Sonoma County these past 3 vintages to find the perfect high elevation hillside Cabernet vineyards, worthy of being our Davis Family Cabernet sources. Through this meticulous search, he was able to find mountaintop vineyards in the Rockpile AVA that allow for perfect balance and true varietal expression. Perched over 1200 feet in elevation above Lake Sonoma, these Ridgeline blocks sit above the fog and have the ideal combination of soils, sunshine and coastal influence to not only have the ultimate in complexity and balance - but a combination of richness and respect to the traditions of this grape, which he crafts into is the best of both new and old worlds.

One of our Rockpile blocks, overlooking Lake Sonoma The Rockpile AVA is one of the newest in California, located at the northwest corner of the Dry Creek Valley. While the area has been referred to as Rockpile since the 1850’s, the appellation did not receive its AVA status until 2002. There are a few key factors that set the Rockpile AVA apart from neighboring appellations, one of the most distinctive being an elevation requirement. Vineyards must be at an elevation of 800 feet or higher to be included in the Rockpile AVA. Another feature that contributes to this unique terroir is the proximity to Lake Sonoma. The lake holds its temperature, creating an inversion layer that sucks the fog down to its surface. This keeps these high elevation vineyards virtually fog free, with great sun exposure. Additionally, the extreme terrain of steep hillsides and shallow soils cause the vines to struggle, resulting in low yields of highly concentrated fruit. All of these components work together to create an appellation like no other –the Rockpile AVA.

The Starr Ridge Vineyard, owned by our close friends the Baker Family, is the warmest of our Pinot Noir sites. Being north of the transition where the Russian River turns west toward the Pacific Ocean, it has a more diffused nature to the fog and reaches temperatures a couple of degrees above those of our own Soul Patch vineyard most days. It's a very slight difference but added up over the 240-day growing season, it is just enough to give a unique and luscious mid-palate and darker red fruits than the other single vineyard bottlings of Pinot Noir that we produce.

2013 Sonoma County Harvest Fair, DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL & BEST OF CLASS.
Houston International Livestock Show & Rodeo Wine Competition - Gold Medal
2014 San Francisco International Wine Competition: Gold Medal, 89 Pts.
Steven Tanzer's International Wine Cellar - 90pts.