Growers
The Frontiersman
Our constant quest for new vineyard sources has led us to some of the Golden State’s last frontiers. And it’s brought us face-to-face with California’s unspoken heroes—the growers. Getting to know these bona fide characters has been a great and unexpected privilege. To hear their stories about the land, and about their lineage, is to become a true believer.
Bronx Native, Sonoma Coast Innovator | Sonoma Coast
David Hirsch
Bronx Native, Sonoma Coast Innovator | Sonoma Coast
David Hirsch
In the late 1970s and early ’80s, David Hirsch went where no Sonoma grape grower had gone before: to the extreme edge of the Sonoma Coast. On the recommendation of a vintner friend, he planted Pinot Noir on his foggy ridgeline property, within two miles of the Pacific Ocean. Today the Hirsch Vineyard is recognized internationally for its Sonoma Coast Pinot. Always pushing the site-specific limits, David has recently taken the vineyard biodynamic.
Appellation:
Sonoma Coast
Vineyard designate:
Hirsch Vineyard
Soil type:
complex calcareous seabed material
Elevation:
1100 – 1400 feet
Clone:
Pinot Noir Clones 115, Pommard, and Mt. Eden
Average age of vines:
30+ years
Farming:
Bio
Unique aspect:
proximity to the ocean, heterogeneous topography, biodynamic farming
Sourced for:
Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir
What to expect from the wines:
Elegant Pinot Noir that displays a combination of tart red berry fruit and intense minerality.
Custodians of Burgundian-Style Winemaking in California | Sonoma Valley
Michael McNeil
Custodians of Burgundian-Style Winemaking in California | Sonoma Valley
Michael McNeil
Nestled in the Mayacamas mountains above the town of Sonoma, 46-acre Hanzell Vineyards produces wines prized by collectors worldwide. Its place in the pantheon of California winemaking history is undisputed. This estate is home to the oldest continuously producing Pinot Noir vines in North America, and the first-ever French oak-aged California Chardonnays were raised in their cellar. With such undeniable pedigree, Hanzell Vineyards has seldom had the desire to sell grapes. That we were able to secure a fruit contract here is one of our proudest moments.
Appellation:
Sonoma Valley
Vineyard designate:
Hanzell Vineyard
Soil type:
cobblestones, volcanic, red clay
Elevation:
800 feet
Clone:
Chardonnay Hanzell Clone
Average age of vines:
old vines, low-yields, heritage Hanzell Clone, volcanic soil, elite pedigree
Farming:
Organic
Unique aspect:
old vines, low-yields, heritage Hanzell Clone, volcanic soil, elite pedigree
Sourced for:
Hanzell Vineyard Chardonnay
What to expect from the wines:
Age-worthy, mountain-grown Chardonnay that smells of fresh loquats and spearmint, and tastes like candied lemon peels, Mirabelle
Unsung hero of old Chalone | Chalone
Michael Michaud
Unsung hero of old Chalone | Chalone
Michael Michaud
It takes unyielding determination to farm upon the sun-scorched, limestone mound that is Chalone, just west of Pinnacles National Park. Despite the rich wine-making history that exists here, the place was without electricity until the mid-1990s. Working by kerosene lamp and installing, by hand, both power lines and water pipes, Michael Michaud could only be described as indefatigable.
Appellation:
Chalone
Vineyard designate:
Michaud Vineyard
Soil type:
rare braid of granite and limestone
Elevation:
1600 feet
Clone:
Pinot Noir Clones 667, 777, and Swan
Average age of vines:
22+ years
Farming:
Sustainable
Unique aspect:
Extremity at every level: elevation, temperature, water-table, soil
Sourced for:
Michaud Vineyard, Pinot Noir
What to expect from the wines:
Profound, mineral-driven Pinot Noir with distinctive Christmas spice notes, and an age-worthiness rarely found in the new world.
Bohemian, musician, naturalist | Sonoma Coast
Steven Moore
Bohemian, musician, naturalist | Sonoma Coast
Steven Moore
Steve represents the latest generation at his family’s “old-timey” California farm, replete with row crops, fruit orchards, livestock, and a well-manicured vineyard. This kind of farmyard diversification is rare in Sonoma County, where Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are king and queen. Steve believes the biodiversity on his farm enhances the complexity of his grapes. So do we. Situated west of the town of Sebastopol in the lee of the Laguna de la Santa Rosa, Steve’s farm has provided LIOCO with remarkably expressive Pinot Noir since 2011, and beginning in 2013, equally expressive Chardonnay.
Appellation:
Sonoma Coast/RRV AVA
Vineyard designate:
N/A
Soil type:
Goldridge
Elevation:
200 feet
Clone:
Chardonnay Clone 4, Pinot Noir Clones 777 & 115
Average age of vines:
20+ years
Farming:
Biodynamic
Unique aspect:
poly-culture, closed-loop farming, the lowest elevation in RRV
Sourced for:
Lejano, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir + Estero, Russian River Valley Chardonnay
What to expect from the wines:
Pinot Noir with a cooling, fresh-berry snappiness. Ripe Chardonnay character without any excess weight. The restrained, lemon-driven profile characteristic of Clone 4 Chardonnay growing in a cool climate.
6th Generation Californian | Alexander Valley
Justin Miller
6th Generation Californian | Alexander Valley
Justin Miller
Justin – “Wines driven by soils only exist from exceptional vineyards. The location is crucial… Years of understanding your land, soil variations, rootstock adaptation, and clonal selection – and of course, climate and the human hand all must complement each other.”
Appellation:
Alexander Valley
Vineyard designate:
N/A
Soil type:
Goldridge
Elevation:
400 feet
Clone:
Wente
Average age of vines:
40+ years
Farming:
sustainable, no spray, active soil regeneration
Unique aspect:
Old vines, Upper Barn + Wente selection, small yields, regenerative composting practiced.
Sourced for:
SoCo Chardonnay
What to expect from the wines:
Chardonnays with more pleasure, orchard fruit, and mid-pallet density-perfect for blending up into our higher acid coastal components.
Family Roots Run Deep | Redwood Valley
Athan Poulos
Family Roots Run Deep | Redwood Valley
Athan Poulos
Athan’s wife, Denise grew up on the storied Lolonis ranch. She spent her summers swimming in the reservoir and her winters in front of the family hearth. So when the property came up for sale last year, she and Athan seized the opportunity. The two have been vigilantly restoring this pre-Prohibition property to its former glory. There are plantings of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Carignan, and Valdiguie that date back to 1945, putting some of these vines into the category of “oldest in California.”
Appellation:
Redwood Valley
Vineyard designate:
Lolonis
Soil type:
Clay + fractured rock
Elevation:
400 feet
Clone:
Sauvignon Blanc (cuttings from Chateau d’ Yquem) + Mother clone Semillon + Old Wente Chardonnay + Mother clone Valdiguie
Average age of vines:
70+ years
Farming:
Certified Organic (and farmed organically since the 1940s)
Unique aspect:
Very old vines, dry farming, historical ranch, rare Valdiguie vines
Sourced for:
Sauvignon Blanc, Old Vine White, Indica, Valdiguie
What to expect from the wines:
Super mineral, old vine density whites + wholly unique briny, blue fruited, light-bodied reds.
Brothers Barto! | Talmage, Mendocino
Rory + Vince Bartolomei
Brothers Barto! | Talmage, Mendocino
Rory + Vince Bartolomei
The Bartolomei Family moved to the property originally as homesteaders in the late 1800s. Vines went in early, and the family has been in the grower business ever since. The commune of Talmage feels like the one that time forgot. Not uncommon to see people riding into “town” on horseback. It’s still very agrarian and most residents grow something—if not grapes, now it seems to be weed! The Bros Barto are still holding it down with the old-school Vitis vinifera. No plans to change!
Appellation:
Talmage, Mendocino AVA
Vineyard designate:
N/A
Soil type:
Clay and fractured rock
Elevation:
800 feet
Clone:
Mother clone Carignan
Average age of vines:
80+ years
Farming:
Unique aspect:
Very old vines, head-trained, dry farming
Sourced for:
Indica Red, Rosé
What to expect from the wines:
Fresh red + dark fruit character, an earthy dustiness, true varietal character. For Rosé, more high tone, watermelon rind drive.
One Man Show | Pine Mountain / Cloverdale Peaks
Jim McCutchen
One Man Show | Pine Mountain / Cloverdale Peaks
Jim McCutchen
Jim has been working on this same piece of land for 75-years. When we first met him he came rumbling down the hill on his ATV, two dogs barking from the back seat. As he approached us, I was taken aback at his ripe age, but when he shook my hand and began to tell us about his vineyard it was clear that this man with a vice-grip was still young at heart and as committed as ever to the responsible stewardship of his land.
Appellation:
Pine Mountain / Cloverdale Peaks AVA
Vineyard designate:
N/A
Soil type:
Clay and fractured rock
Elevation:
2400 – 2600 feet
Clone:
Mother clone Carignan
Average age of vines:
60+ years
Farming:
Unique aspect:
Old vines, head-trained, dry farming, high elevation site, multiple blocks
Sourced for:
Sativa, Indica, Rosé
What to expect from the wines:
Fresh red + dark fruit character, an earthy dustiness, true varietal character. For Rosé, a more red berry + wild herb component.
“The Vine Whisperer” | Santa Cruz Mountains
Prudy Foxx
“The Vine Whisperer” | Santa Cruz Mountains
Prudy Foxx
At our first meeting, Prudy compared the deep, sandy soils of Corralitos to a Great White Shark (both are fast to adapt to the ambient temperature of their surroundings). Then she promptly led us to two stunning vineyard sites, La Marisma and Saveria, both on sand. As we walked the rows, we caught her pitching crushed up oyster shells from her pocket onto the ground.
Appellation:
Santa Cruz Mountains
Vineyard designate:
La Marisma, Saveria
Soil type:
sand + calcareous
Elevation:
600 feet
Clone:
Chardonnay Mt. Eden Clone & Clone 96, Pinot Noir Clones Pommard & 115
Average age of vines:
20+ years
Farming:
Sustainable, active soil amending
Unique aspect:
both sites sit less than 5-miles from the sea in a heavily forested area
Sourced for:
La Marisma Vineyard Chardonnay, Saveria Vineyard Pinot Noir
What to expect from the wines:
Chardonnay with a briny, sea-influenced character and brisk acidity. Pinot Noir with freshly-picked, electric berry and exotic spice
Risk Taker | Russian River Valley
John Balleto
Risk Taker | Russian River Valley
John Balleto
John showed us a map of the area with an overlay of the vineyards now under his purview. He explained them one at a time detailing the specifics of each site. The last one, located far out on Burnside Road, he seemed to downplay. “It’s a stressed, older vineyard with low yields, and a late-ripening arc.” Check. Check. Check. We went there first, tried to maintain our poker faces, and negotiated a fruit contract with our boots still on the soil.
Appellation:
Russian River Valley
Vineyard designate:
N/A
Soil type:
Goldridge
Elevation:
200 feet
Clone:
Clone 95
Average age of vines:
30+ years
Farming:
Sustainable
Unique aspect:
Leaf roll virus, small yields, marginal sea-influenced climate
Sourced for:
Estero, Russian River Valley Chardonnay + SoCo Chardonnay
What to expect from the wines:
Racy Chardonnay with tart yellow fruit and quartz-like minerality.
