Our Vineyards
Star Vineyards
In the heart of the Rutherford bench, Star vineyard is recognized for it’s gravelly loam soil deposited by alluvial fans during the formation of the valley floor. The warm days, and cool nights, moderated only slightly by coastal fog, make Rutherford a benchmark for cabernet growing. We pick fruit from the A1 block which is also the oldest block in the vineyard, approximately 20 years old. The clones are split between clone 7 and Martha’s clone, which originated from the famed Martha’s vineyard. Because of its age and balance, the wines are typically richly layered with black cherry, dark plum and currant fruit, as well as soft, silky tannins that make this a classic cabernet vineyard.
Yates Ranch
Located at the end of Redwood Road on Mt. Veeder, this vineyard was established in the 1880’s by Ehrest Streich. For the last 55 years, the ranch has been operated by the Yates Family. This vineyard is 1100 ft above the valley floor. The steep, rocky mountainside provides little for the vineyard existence. Yields are extremely low, but flavors and concentration are extremely high. A unique and rare gem that most winemakers dream of..
Henry Ranch
Our neighbor to the south, this vineyard is owned by Daryl Sattui. The ranch at its base is adjacent to Hudson vineyards in Carneros. The foggy and cool climate is a great site for producing wonderful Chardonnay. The short, cool, days preserve the acidity and fruit character, while allowing the phenolic maturity to develop in the absence of overripe characters.
The rolling hills then climb their way up Mayacamas and extend onto Mt. Veeder. The peaks and crests of which have limited soil, and great exposures for growing Bordeaux varietals high above the base of the ranch. The moderating effects of the bay fog allows for additional hang time and tannin development, while protecting the integrity of the fruit. The result is dark extracted fruit which have concentrated, rich structure.
LaTour Vineyards
Located at over 1600 ft of elevation, this vineyard literally sits on top of Mt. Veeder. The vineyard is shaped by the high altitude topography, cooler air temperatures, and mix of volcanic and sedimentary clay soils. The cooler temperatures at such a high elevation give the vines a late start in Spring, and a more moderate growing season than that of the valley floor. However, while the typical late season fog blankets the valley below, this vineyard benefits from early morning sunshine and warmer morning temperatures creating longer growing days and a chance for rich flavor development towards the end of the season. A challenging growing site, but truly unique and amazing as well.
