Stellwagen Vineyard

Sonoma Valley

Guardians: Stellwagens

Many people have asked me why I do not make a varietal Zinfandel. My catty answer is “Ravenswood has taken all of the best old vine Zinfandel vineyards.” This, actually has a bit of truth to it, but the honest response is something that comes deeper from the gut. It is simply that I have not found a Zin vineyard that moves me. Not for lack of looking, but a strange assemblage of curious pitter-patters in the gut is required before beginning a relationship with a vineyard. It is a bit like finding a partner, and with my father being one of the kings of Zinfandel, I have been forced to approach the varietal with foppish aloofness to make sure that an eventual match will be one of which he approves.

Well, going into the third vintage for Bedrock Wine Co. I have finally found a vineyard that is a great match.

Stellwagen Vineyard is located only a mile away from Bedrock Vineyard in the heart of the Sonoma Valley. It is almost as old– I suspect the vineyard was once part of the old Steiger property, probably planted in the 1890’s. Though geographically close, Stellwagen lies on a soil type unseen on our ranch– Los Robles Cobbly Loams. This is a darker, more gravelly, soil also found at nearby Old Hill Ranch. The vineyard is owned by Ruth Stellwagen and her husband Robert– longtime valley folk, and part of the family that has owned Stellwagen since the 1960’s.

What makes this vineyard even more exciting is that Diane (the vineyard manager at Bedrock) and I will farm it– and farm it organically (or in reality, Diane will and I will listen since she is the vineyard guru). This means rich cover crops, replanting many vines, and working to achieve optimum canopy-to-crop ratio.

Stellwagen’s small size– only 2.5 acres or thereabouts– and close location is absolutely ideal for both Bedrock Wine Co. and Sunbreak Vineyard Services. It means we can give the vineyard all the love it needs and monitor closely the results of our efforts. There is endless potential– the vineyard lies in close relation to the Grand Cru Zinfandel sites of Barricia, Chauvet, Old Hill Ranch, and Bedrock.

If all goes well we will breath new life into this ancient vineyard, allowing me to make correspondingly breathtaking wines. With the devoted ownership and care of Ruth and Robert there is little doubt that this will come to pass. This is yet another situation where I hope my winemaking can live up to the standards of the vineyards.