The Estate
Terroir
Our vines are located along the sunny, south-facing extension of the Saint-Émilion plateau. Our soils contain rich clay and a generous limestone slab. The southern orientation, and elevation above the valley, bring sunshine and breezes, protecting the vines, and their fruit, from the temperature swings that challenge many vineyards. Our merlot vines have a median age of 30 years. This Fall, we are co-planting with Cabernet Franc, a vine that is more resilient in the face of climate change and which, in several years, will add complexity and spice to our wines.
Responsible Winemaking
Every step of the wine’s journey, from rootstock to bottle, occurs within the footprint of the château grounds. The wine only leaves the property when it travels to your cellar, table, wine shop, or restaurant.
Looking Forward
Our attention to the next vintage begins long before the prior vintage is bottled. We use green fertilizing techniques, testing the soil for any mineral shortfalls. While irrigation is not permitted in the appellation (vines receive only the water that nature provides, through rain or groundwater), symbiotic weeds are intentionally grown and tilled into the soil, to further supplement the nutrients of our terroir.
Natural Vine Helpers
We manage and deter destructive pests by tapping into nature’s arsenal. Our grounds include plants that repel the bugs and animals that injure the vines and grapes. Our vines also are neighbored by plants that attract predators of grape-damaging insects. These natural defense mechanisms allow us to protect our vines and grapes, without resorting to synthetic herbicides or pesticides. We are vigilant about our cultivation processes.
The vineyard has commenced the process to obtain Organic certification.
Vineyard Management and Harvest
Leaves remain on the vines or are removed, depending on the weather of the growing season, to ensure the grapes receive just the right amount of sun.
As autumn approaches, we monitor the development of the grapes, testing sugar levels to judge the best day for the harvest. The grapes are ready when they are ready; the human portion of the team knows to be ready when the grapes indicate that it is time to harvest.
Vinification and Aging
Once the grapes are harvested, they go through alcoholic fermentation in our state-of-the-art stainless steel tanks. Thermoregulators aid in monitoring and adjusting the rate of alcoholic and malolactic fermentation.
Our wine is aged in French oak barrels. We use a variety of barrel-makers, to add depth and complexity to the oak flavors of the wine. For the same reason, we use a mixture of new oak barrels, and barrels that are used more than once. This permits a balance of the tannins and micro-oxidization and is more ecologically responsible. A portion of the wine is aged in terra cotta amphorae, which adds complexity to the tannins as a result of different micro-oxidization during the maturation process.
Assemblage and Bottling
Once the wine has matured, blending or assemblage occurs: finding the nuanced proportions of each of the lots of wine to combine into a balanced and elegant wine, with gravitas worthy of our appellation, our terroir, and, of paramount importance, our customers.
Bottling occurs just steps away. The bottles are labeled and crated on the property.
Community Focus
At every step, we strive to work with local family-owned businesses. The statues of the three dogs that are featured on our label were created by a local artist. Our labels were drawn by a local artist, and the labels themselves come from a small local printer. We look for like-minded businesses to sell our wines as well. Below is a photo of our statues with Henk Schoen, the local artist who created them.
Community Commitment
The OCBA Charitable Fund is the philanthropic arm of the Orange County Bar Association, which supports law-related charities in Orange County, California.
The purpose of the Berkeley Global Society is to unlock intelligence and human capital. BGS ideates, incubates and inspires, diffusing innovative analysis from around the globe.
We are proud to be the winery partner of Berkeley Global Society, an international organization lawyers educated at Berkeley. We also are honored to be a donor and supporter of the OCBA Charitable Fund Raise Your Glass Annual Benefit.