Our Vineyards

After a long search for red volcanic soils and steep hillsides, we found the culmination of what we were looking for in the Madder Lake Vineyard. Located in the Clear Lake appellation of Lake County, this site was created by violent and sudden geologic occurrences. An ancient volcano once sat adjacent to the site, and when it blew, it left behind an intense landscape littered with boulders and rocks of all shapes and sizes.

Developing and planting this vineyard was no small task. In some areas of the vineyard, there is virtually no topsoil, we literally had to blast the rock with explosives to break it up enough for the roots of the vines to take hold. The elevation ranges from 1600-2200 feet. The pitch begins gradually and then becomes more extreme the higher you climb. The combination of steep hillsides, thin rocky soils and excellent exposure allows the vines to show off their ability to adapt, producing fruit of intense character and intricate flavors. The vineyard is planted from top to bottom with Zinfandel, Grenache Noir, Syrah and Tempranillo.

Madder Lake was aptly named by Lenni Spencer, Sam’s Mother; a woman with a passion for language and arts. Madder lake is a color, also called red madder. The extract is made by boiling the root of the madder plant (rubia tintorium), producing a deep, long lasting red pigment. It was used by the Dutch painter Vermeer with great success in the warmer parts of the flesh tones such as the lips or cheeks either by direct mixture or as a glaze. The mouth of the Girl with a Pearl Earring was painted with madder lake. The use of the name Madder Lake refers to the intensely red volcanic soils that produce elegant wines with a powerful character.

Nestled at the base of Howell Mountain in the Conn Valley, east of St. Helena is the La Herradura Vineyard. In 1999, we visited this ranch for the first time and were struck by the landscape: a natural amphitheater with opposing hillsides, varied soil types and excellent exposure. It brought back memories of Cote-Rotie in the Northern Rhone Valley of France and the exceptional wines that are crafted there.

We began planting Cote Rotie Selections of Syrah and eventually added Viognier. The soils are thin, gravelly, clay loams overlying subsoils of ancient seafloor and Franciscan bedrock. These are tell tale signs of a violent past in the Pacific sea floor that was active in producing California’s unique coastline. Through ages of uplift and erosion, they have been exposed here on the eastern reaches of the Napa Valley. These types of soils offer little in the way of nutrients and the vines work hard to produce what they can. The yields are naturally very low in these thin soils, producing loose clusters with small, thick-skinned berries, full of flavor, and definite character.

Believed to be the oldest Viognier vineyard in California, the Noble Vineyard is planted at the foot of the Mayacamas range. Facing eastward, favoring the morning light and ensuring cool evenings for ideal ripening. the proprietor only grows Viognier. After an inspiring trip to France and a new love affair with the wines of Condrieu, the proprietor decided he wanted to try and reproduce the beguiling wines that he had tried in the old world.

The upper block is dramatically terraced, and underpinned by volcanic bedrock. At the foot of the vineyards slope is an alluvial fan filled with rocky debris and cobble. This combination of soils and exposure make this an ideal site for Viognier. The Knights Valley is just a few miles to the north of Calistoga lodged between Mount St. Helena and the Mayacamas to the west.

In Europe, Grenache Blanc plantings spread from the mountains of Priorato in Spain east to the banks of the Rhone in France. The Esperanza Vineyard is located in Clarksburg in the Sacramento River Delta. Originally planted with red wine in mind, a misidentification of Grenache Noir led to a few errant acres of Grenache Blanc. Deep sandy soils and constant wind keep vigor in check at this site. The Proximity of the Sacramento and American rivers keep things reasonably cool in an otherwise hot and arid climate.