I source grapes from heritage, organic, and sustainably farmed vineyards in Sonoma County and a few select California sites to produce Rhône varietal wines and single-vineyard Zinfandels.
My winemaking is rooted in my curiosity and understanding a terroir’s minerality and what it gives the wine. It’s immersing myself into the viticulture of each appellation and producing wines that are truly a reflection of the vineyard itself.
Rockpile Vineyard
Rockpile, Sonoma
About the Vineyard
Rockpile is one of the smallest AVAs in the nation, producing ultra-premium hillside fruit. In 1991, Rod and Cathy Park converted a dilapidated former sheep ranch into Rockpile Vineyard.
At 2010-ft. elevation, the vineyard sites are hilly and of course, rocky. Above the fog line, the vineyard’s terroir stresses the vines, but the average temperature range from 50 – 80º provides for a wonderful growing season, allowing for full ripening. The soil composition of granite, loam, clay, and quartz gives the fruit a strong mineral component. Altogether, this vineyard yields amazing fruit. Each Rockpile Syrah is truly unique in its depth and profile.
I began working with this sustainably farmed vineyard in 1998 and still love it because I know Syrah planted at high elevations in rocky soils are a match made in heaven.
Established in 2007, SJR Vineyard is situated in The Rocks District AVA on 13 acres within the Walla Walla Valley. Owned and managed by Mary & Steve Robertson (Delmas Winery) utilizing sustainable farming practices. They are obsessive about exploring balanced soil conditions and keeping in-tune with weather patterns to mature wine grapes that fully express terroir and vintage. Their viticulture discipline addresses each block independently – assessing appropriate training form, trellis structure, pruning rigor, nutrient and irrigation strategy.
St. Peter’s Church Vineyard
Alexander Valley, Sonoma
About the Vineyard
In the heart of the St. Peter’s Church Vineyard are 20 100-year-old trellised Zinfandel vines, the oldest planted at a church in the United States.
This heritage vineyard was originally planted in the 1880’s with Zinfandel and mixed blacks that formed the outer circle of the vineyard with the thought that if it became vulnerable to a threat, it would affect the outer vines first before it reached the Zinfandel.
For many years, this organic vineyard was nurtured by friend, Ulises Valdez, and I have been lucky to have been making Zinfandel with this fruit since 1996.
At 500-ft. elevation, this flat vineyard with its alluvial-loamy and clay soils produces exceptional Zin. The loam adds life to my wine, while the clay adds richness and mouthfeel. For me, it is one of the greatest Zinfandel vineyards, ever!
Originally established in 1865, this heritage vineyard is one of the oldest Zinfandel growing regions in California. Rinaldi Vineyard sits at 2000 ft. elevation in the Sierra Foothills of Amador County. My rows are a tad lower, at 1,600 – 1,800 ft of decomposed volcanic rrock and red soils.
This heritage vineyard showcases classic terroir. Today, there may be one acre of these ancient vines still producing fruit. The remaining vines in the original 38-acre block are more than 100 years old. The vinyeard also has various blocks with different ages planted since the 1950s.
The South-facing vineyard was revitalized in 2000 with a replanting done with selections from existing vines. The Zinfandel is head-trained; largely dry-farmed, and these vine have deep roots. They cast a spell on me. It is ne of the coolest sites in Amador, producing wines with white and black pepper notes.
When I was at Florida International University, I took my first Wine and Beverage course. On one of the first days we tasted wine: a Châteauneuf-du-Pape and also a Zinfandel. The CdP was a Beaucastle and the Ridge Zinfandel was a from the Eschen Vineyard in Fiddletown, Amador. That Zin struck a chord with me and was the reason I fell in love with the varietal. I discovered that Rianldi Vineyard used to be called Eschen.
It is hard to forget your first love! Each year, I am inspired as I make my Zin from the original vineyard that inspired me as a winemaker.
Originally planted in the late 1800’s, Stagecoach Vineyard® was brought to glory by Dr. Jan Krupp who began redeveloping it in the mid-1990s beginning with the removal of 1 billion pounds of volcanic rock.
Today, this sustainably farmed vineyard is the largest contiguous vineyard in the Napa Valley as well as one of the most well-known in the Atlas Peak AVA. Soaring 1631-ft. elevation with volcanic red and yellow clay loam, and Hambright fractured decomposed rock. The region of the vineyard where I source the Marsanne and Roussanne is dominated by the typical red volcanic soils of Stagecoach, but what makes the area unique is its enormous quantities of flat rock, which provide exceptional drainage to the hillside blocks.
The Atlas Peak region has significantly less marine influence than the rest of the vineyard and has more shelter from the valley breezes, warming the region early in the morning and retaining the heat throughout the day making it the warmest growing region of Stagecoach Vineyard.
And then there is its fruit. The consistently stunning color is largely due to its elevation above the fog line, where the vineyard is exposed to more sunlight throughout the year. As a result, the fruit is dominated by classic “mountainside” characteristics, with big tannins and extremely complex flavors.
While Cabernet Sauvignon is the primary varietal grown, its Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier are unmatched in their depth and complexity. I source here purely and simply for the minerality, roundness, and depth that the vineyard offers to my beloved Rhône white varietals.
It’s pure volcanic rock with a 55° slope that’s planted in an amphitheater-style arrangement, with a big patch of lavender in the middle of the vines. There are more large rosemary and lavender patches planted around the vineyard in the many rock piles that are scattered in and around the rows. The vines are well stressed at 400-ft. elevation with a lot of iron exposure. Different parts of the vineyard get full-sun exposure throughout the day.
All it takes is one look at this site and you know that something extraordinary will come from it. I am lucky to have this vineyard to myself because there is no other vineyard that produces a Zinfandel like this. It’s the most Northern Rhône style Zinfandel I have ever tasted. It is expressive and complex, and the nose — you need experience the aromatics for yourself.
The Landy Sweetwater Springs Vineyard is a gorgeous site for Petite Sirah and Zinfandel. Ulises Valdez first told me about this site in 2004 and I have been sourcing from this sustainably farmed vineyard since 2007.
Ranging from 300 to 1000 ft. in elevation, the lower elevations are exposed to the cooling influence of the fog, while the hillside fruit gets more than its fair share of sun exposure.
Ranging from 300 to 1000 ft. elevation, the well-drained soils bring a mineral backbone to the wine. For the Petite Sirah, it produces a richness and intensity with finesse.
Ulises grafted the ‘magical’ St. Peter’s Church budwood to create the my Zinfandel site in the vineyard. It is dark and rich as the rocky and sloping 55° slope hillsides forces the fruit to dig deep for nutrients — it brings so much character to both of these vineyard sisters.
