Santa Rosa Plains

About Occidental Road Vineyard

Located about a mile north-east of the town of Sebastopol, the vineyards lie in the southern-most third of the Russian River Valley where the weather during the growing season is substantially cooler than our valley neighbors to the north. During the growing season, it's not uncommon to have a blanket of wet morning fog and temperatures in the low 50s. By mid-morning, the fog will begin to lift and the temperatures will reach the mid to high 80s in a matter of an hour or two. By early evening, the fog will be stacked against the coastal mountains directly to our west and beginning to flow through the Petaluma Wind Gap directly to our south. This ceaseless ebb and flow of temperatures and fog makes for a dynamic and incredible location to grow wine grapes. In such a climate Chardonnay and Pinot (Noir and Gris) have an extended ripening period in which they are able to retain their natural acidity and have defined flavors at lower sugar levels, which allow us to make wines with plenty of flavor and complexity at lower alcohols. Our Single Vineyard 'Winery Block' Pinot Noir is made exclusively from our favorite plots of Pinot Noir grown on the Occidental Road vineyard and demonstrates these traits.

In addition to climate, the land here greatly impacts each individual block of grapes as it gently slopes west toward the Laguna de Santa Rosa and has numerous different micro-climates generated both by the subtle elevation differences and the not-so-subtle soil changes. In general, we have planted our Pinot Noir and Gris in the lower lying areas where it's a little cooler and kept the warmer locations for Chardonnay, which will turn a beautiful golden yellow when it's ready for harvest. Soils change rapidly throughout this vineyard. Within 10 feet, dark-brown Wright Loam soil will give way to darker soils with higher clay content and then, just as rapidly, switch back to soils with a higher sand content like Blucher Fine Sandy Loam. Because different soils retain water, heat and nutrients at different levels, each block is divided by soil type and farmed individually to grow the best possible grapes.

About BCD Vineyard

Our 16-year-old BCD Vineyard is located on rolling hills that lead up to the Coastal mountain range. Cold fog flows in from the nearby Pacific Ocean in the late evening & covers the vineyard until mid-morning. During the growing season, it's common to have a 40 degree daily temperature swing from early morning lows to peak afternoon highs after the fog burns away. In addition to Mother Nature, the soils here are the ideal combination of sand from the mountain ranges and clays from the lower river valley. This particular sandy-loam soil composition holds just enough water to ripen our grapes, yet drains enough to keep the roots actively seeking water. It's this mixture of climate and soil that allows the fruit to ripen at a steady pace that develops the unique character of this wine.

About Hall & Piner Vineyard

The cool southern third of the Russian River Valley is an ideal location to make Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer. Cold nights help maintain natural acidity and the warmer days nudge grapes toward fresh, bright fruit.