Kimberly Vineyard
Originally a getaway for the Mayor of San Francisco in 1906, “The Ranch” a 9 acre property is nestled 400 feet in elevation above the Sonoma Valley in Kenwood, CA. Relics of the past residents include pre-prohibition mix black grape varieties, 100 year old olive trees, and barns once used to house guinea fowl. In the 1970’s Ernie Meyers purchased the property from the Granelli Family as a means to get away from the city life. It was here that he seeked grape-growing mentorship from neighboring vintner Val Rossi. Ernie and Val planted Cabernet Sauvignon which still thrives today, as well as Zinfandel, Chenin Blanc, and a mixed Rhone block of Syrah, Grenache, & Mourvèdre. Currently, we are working in conjunction with the Meyers family to re-habilitate soil life and biodiversity on the ranch by switching 100% to organic and biodynamic farming. Look out for our single vineyard Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon which vibrantly express the uniqueness of site and vine age. It’s an honor to continue the legacy of a century old property in the heart of Sonoma Valley.
Liquid Amber
Liquid Amber is simply an anomaly. The first time we walked into the vines, it was very difficult to take the vineyard’s huge, head-pruned vines seriously. When the owner of the property purchased the home 30+ years ago, neither he nor his wife knew what these gnarled, sea-creature likes vines were. It wasn’t until the spring time, that the grapevines were identified as pre-prohibition varieties, Alicante Bouschet, Valdigue, and Mouvedre , planted in 1910!. Once part of a larger old vine field blended vineyard, only 23 old vines survived the neighborhood urban development. What highlights this site is that these vines are tapped into an underwater aquifer at the edge of an alluvial slide from the base of Sonoma Mountain. We spray these vines once a year, sometimes not at all, otherwise, they take care of themselves. With an average yield of 500-1000 pounds, the wines are fresh, vibrant, and tantalizingly fragrant. And redefine the quality of a forgotten grape variety in Sonoma Valley.
Hooley Vineyard
Hooley vineyard is a small 3/4 acre hobby vineyard planted 16 years ago to Petite Sirah and Syrah. What makes this site so unique is the vineyard co-mingles within the garden surrounding the hillside property. Rose bushes, fruit trees, olive trees, citrus , live oaks, native hillside fauna make up what we treasure the most...a living system. In 2016, Rande had an opportunity to rehabilitate the vineyard. Vines were looked at as individual plants and pruined appropriately. With plenty of material to pruin in 2017, our experiment in natural, no spray, non-intervention farming was practiced. Every year since farming this site, we have doubled the yield. Grapes were picked at physiological ripeness, fermented with ambient yeast, and aged in a mixture of barrel and California made Amphora. Zero sulfites were added to this wine. We respect this site and its ability to provide a wine rival to the finest in Sonoma Valley.
Bedrock Vineyards
Grown in what is known as the “banana belt” of Sonoma Valley, our Alicante Bouschet and Petite Sirah show case the pure expressions of these varieties. Founded by William Sherman and General Hooker in 1854, the 350 acre ranch was eventually planted by Senator George Hearst in 1880. Currently the property is owned and farmed with tenderness by Morgan Twain-Peterson and the team of Bedrock Wine Co.
Benguerel Vineyard
This vineyard is worthy of ALL the buzzwords. Organic, no spray, no till, own rooted, and 100% capable of producing terroir focused wine. Planted in the 1990’s these Primitivo vines sit ontop of the oldest river bed in Sonoma Valley. Not only is the soil abundant with vibrant life, but below the surface there is a homogenized meadly of gravel and clay. The wines are tantalizingly aromatic and even at a higher than normal alcohol maintain razor sharp acidity. We farm in-conjunction with Ross Cannard -legendary produce farmer- responsible for the vegetables sourced for Chez Pannise. To top it all off, we have had the privilege to graft 1 acre over to Semillon and Grenache Blanc.