Fox Hill Vineyard

Fox Hill Vineyard is located squarely between Ukiah and Hopland on the Talmage Bench of Mendocino—a geologically uplifted former riverbed composed primarily of sandstone, with rocky, pebbly soils and large pieces of quartz scattered throughout. The 30-year-old vines were converted to organic farming several years ago by Sam Bilbro of Idlewild Wines, eliminating the use of pesticides, herbicides, chemicals, and synthetics. Most recently, the vineyard’s holistic farming approach has been guided by Chris Brockway of Broc Cellars, whose thoughtful stewardship promises a bright future for this weird and wonderful site.

Santo Giordano

Santo Giordano Vineyard in Carneros is a naturally low-vigor site, yielding exceptionally concentrated fruit. Its remarkable proximity to San Pablo Bay—the estuary literally reaches the end of the vine rows—and the area’s persistent high winds often result in a visible salt spray on the canopy leading up to harvest. We work with two distinct blocks here: one, a steep hillside with white Carneros Series clay; the other, a gently rolling hill composed of Diablo Series black clay interspersed with small lime concretions. Across all blocks, beneath the gravelly Haire-Coombs topsoil, the Carneros Series clays are packed as dense as concrete—severely limiting vine growth and reducing overall fruit yield.

Las Cimas

Las Cimas (“The Hilltops”) is one of our favorite places in Sonoma County. Perched at some of the highest elevations in the middle reach of the Russian River Valley, the vineyard experiences temperate afternoons bookended by exceptionally cool mornings and evenings. Its position above the fog line intensifies ripening through direct solar radiation, while a competing cooling influence from West County—sweeping through Armstrong Redwoods and over Sweetwater Springs—keeps the vines in balance. The soils here are exceptional and rare for the Russian River Valley: primarily chlorite and sandstone schist, studded with large pieces of quartz. These remarkable grapes are farmed organically using regenerative practices by our dear friend, David Drummond.