Vineyards

 Dolcetto and Chardonnay Musqué: Windsor Oaks, Chalk Hill AVA.

Chalk Hill is named for its unique volcanic soil of chalky white ash. I sourced the Dolcetto and Chardonnay Musqué clone 809 from this vineyard, notable for its rather dramatic elevation rise. The Chardonnay grows in the lower section, which receives abundant fog from the Chalk Hill gap, thus keeping the grapes cool during the day and allowing for a long ripening season. The top of Chalk Hill is the perfect climate for the Dolcetto vines. With less fog and the right amount of sun, this area allows the fruit to ripen slowly, resulting in that bold red fruit characters and tannins I’m looking for.

 

Malbec: Blau Vineyard, Knights Valley AVA.

Nestled at the base of Mt. St Helena, Blau Vineyard is the ideal spot to produce the Cadle Family Wines Malbec. The soil here is truly unique, consisting of volcanic deposits, ancient river bed remains from the Russian River, and alluvial soil.  The warm days and cool nights in this locale create the perfect conditions for growing Malbec grapes. Situated on a hillside with fantastic drainage, the Malbec vineyard offers picturesque views of Mt. St Helena above and ancient flakes and chunks of Obsidian hidden in the earth below. Obviously this has been a coveted spot for centuries!

 

Gewürztraminer: Carneros AVA.

The Carneros region is known for its cool climate and its Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wine production. But it is also the ideal location for Gewürztraminer. Gewürztraminer was planted fairly regularly in the 1970s, and luckily I found one of those original vineyards. This 1.5-acre, dry-farmed (no irrigation), old-vine Gewürztraminer vineyard was planted for the Sebastiani family back in the 1970s. The vines are beautifully gnarled and show their age well. The grape clusters are small and vary in color and ripeness, which allows me to make a fantastically complex yet clean wine. 

Sangiovese and Rosé: Speedy Creek Vineyard. Knights Valley AVA 

Speedy Creek is a certified, sustainable vineyard nestled in the mountains above Knights Valley. Due to its elevation, the vineyard sits above the morning fog which allows for warm sunny days and mild summer nights, the ideal climate for Sangiovese. The terraced, bowl shape vineyard has fantastic well drained soil that consists of sandy loam and volcanic ash. I feel very lucky to have found this unique source for both my Rosé and Sangiovese, and look forward to getting fruit from David for years to come.