Discovering and acquiring this 40-acre ranch and small winery in the fertile Sierra Foothills was a dream realized. This isolated property at 2100 feet overlooking the middle fork of the Consumnes River is home to our estate.
When we purchased the land in January of 2016, the vines, a mix of mostly red varietals covering 6 acres, were neglected; beyond revival. We chose to extract them and began resuscitating the volcanic soil, laying cover crop and preparing expanded acreage for new, organically farmed plantings. In the spring of 2018 began the process of establishing the new High View Vineyard, working with varietals that remind us of our convictions and speak to the founded and reinvigorated brilliance of this part of the world.
Cemetery Vineyard
Within the limits of Mendocino County’s city of Ukiah, lies the Cemetery Vineyard – a ten-acre site that borders the Russian River Cemetery. Strange as it may sound, this vineyard is owned by the city, with historical blocks of Carignane and Zinfandel dating back to the 1940s. A significant portion of the vineyard has been replanted over the past 10 years to Grenache, a variety perfectly fit for these grounds given the gravelly soils on which the vines call home.
Colombini Vineyard
We were delighted to be introduced to the Colombini Ranch in 2017. The Carignane vines are over 75 years old and deeply rooted in the well-drained benchland soil of Mendocino County’s Redwood Valley. Head trained at a density of 681 vines per acre, the planting is of an earlier era; one that we admire for its long-term sustainability. Carignane has long been a favorite varietal. At its best, it can thread the needle with dense fruit and balanced acidity. Colombini offers a wonderful expression of this under recognized varietal.
Enz Vineyard
Situated on a bed of limestone and granite at the base of Mt. Harlan in the Lime Kiln Valley – the Enz Vineyard is a historical and remote California Central Coast site with a history dating back to the 1880s. The current Pinot Noir block that we source is organically farmed and planted on vinifera roots that date back to the 1970s.
Scaggs Vineyard
Boz & Dominique Scaggs planted 2.2 acres to Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah & Counoise on their ranch at the northern crest of Mt Veeder in 1998. Situated on what was once a high valley lake; the soils are interspersed with gravely and Aiken loam deposits as you plunge the 300 vertical feet from top to bottom. One of the few remaining organic vineyards dedicated exclusively to these varietals in the Napa Valley, Scaggs is a cornerstone to our production, operating with the strong principles we hold dear. Boz transitioned the vineyard over to us, in its entirety in 2016. We look forward to working with this site for many years to come.
Nestled in California’s Sierra Foothills due east of the gold-mining town of Sutter Creek, resides the Shake Ridge Ranch. Ann Kraemer pioneered the ranch and has masterfully designed and cared for one of California’s great vineyard estates. Forty-six acres of vines are organically farmed. After years of study and practice, Ann has recently converted the entire 46 acres of vineyard land to no-till farming with the aim to maintain soil moisture and reduce vine stress while at the same time benefiting our planet by reducing emissions through plant carbon sequestration. We are honored to work with Ann’s site not only because of the beautiful fruit her vineyard produces but for her thought leading and responsible farming that will pave roads for future generations.
Yount Mill Vineyard
The Yount Mill Vineyard has been owned by the Hoxsey family for 4 generations and is currently one of the largest continuous plantings in the Napa Valley. This vast site has been farmed organically in its entirety since 1987. We’re currently sourcing Semillon & Grenache from Yount Mill. The Semillon happens to be the last head trained, dry farmed section in this historic vineyard. The vines are on drought tolerant rootstock in alluvial soil with 8 x 12 vine spacing. Yount Mill Semillon ripens quite early at low sugars giving way to light and refreshing flavors. The Grenache occupies just 4 wine rows at Yount Mill – a site that would be considered a slightly ‘cooler planting zone’ for this sun-loving varietal – the resulting wine leans towards brightness, lift and elegance each vintage.