The 19 acre estate vineyard was planted in 2000 and named Korbin Kameron Vineyard, after a year of meticulous planning, clearing, and grading. It sits on the ridge of Mt. Veeder on the Mayacamas Mountain Range and straddles the Napa/Sonoma county line at 2,300 ft. in elevation, the majority of the vineyard being on the Sonoma side. On one side there are breathtaking views of Sonoma Valley from Glen Ellen all the way up to Santa Rosa, Sonoma Mountain, and on clear days the Pacific Ocean. Turn around and Oakville and Rutherford lay before you. Being above the fog line gives the vines a couple more hours of sunlight in a day, but the real treat is the lofty feeling of being surrounded by oceans of fog every morning. These incomparable views are what instantly captured Mitchell & Jenny’s hearts.
This South-West facing vineyard makes an ideal location for growing high quality Bordeaux varieties; Cabernet Sauvignon: clones 7, & 337; Merlot: clone 181, Cabernet Franc: clone 4; Malbec: clone 585; Petit Verdot: clone 1. Semillon Clone 1 and Sauvignon Blanc clone 1 and Musque are currently being budded over from 2 acres of Cabernet. Great morning sun exposure without the intense heat gives the grapes a full day of long filtered sunlight. The late afternoon maritime winds cool down the grapes and put them to bed at night, stretching out the growing season. These two combinations properly ripen the grapes to a balanced maturity, giving them dense & lengthy flavors profiles. The soil on the site is predominantly made up of ancient seabed sprinkled with a layer of volcanic ash. Spreckles loam and Goulding clay loam can be found in the vineyard, but the majority of the vines were planted Suther loam. This gravelly loam is perfect for growing top notch Cabernet Sauvignon because of its extremely well draining properties. The rarity of water stresses the vines to dig deep, which in affect gives our wines boastful structure.
In 2013, Phil Coturri took on the role of Viticulturist and started to farm the vineyard holistically. Injecting life into the soil and vines are integral in the nurturing of a harmonious ecosystem. Planting cover crop is vital to keeping the vines in balance and supplying them with precious nutrients year after year. We use compost teas to build up microbes in the soil to enhance the vine’s potential to uptake valuable nutrients. The cover crop also invites beneficial insects to create an environment of biodiversity between the rows. Through this lens of minimal inputs, the wines more clearly express and celebrate the uniqueness of the land. These practices will nurture healthy vines that will last generations.