pine ridge napa valley charmstone red wine 2003

This is a sub-AVA that lies at the heart of Sonoma County. The AVA spans over 80,000 hectares, of which only 1,600 or so are under vine. It is renowned for its Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Winters are cool and wet, and summers are warm and dry, making this a cool area with a wide diurnal range and a long growing season. It takes its name from a gap in the Coastal Range that stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the town of Petaluma, allowing cool winds and fogs access to the lands. Petaluma Gap is just 40 kilometres from the Golden Gate Bridge and designated as an AVA in 2018. Its westernmost vineyards do not reach the coast, as the West Sonoma Coast AVA includes all potential vineyard land up to the coastline. This coastal AVA was recognised 11 years before the West Sonoma Coast AVA, and is now fully nested within it. The border of this AVA hugs the coastline and runs south from Mendocino. Importantly, the West Sonoma Coast AVA which was approved in 2022 and accounts for about 20% of the vineyard plantings within the Sonoma Coast AVA, celebrates the uniquely cold, marginal, and maritime growing conditions of this region, providing distinction to those vineyards which are truly coastal. Further inland and towards the south is typically warmer and produces bolder-styled wines. The coolest areas of the AVA can be found in the northern reaches by the coast where altitude, exposure, cool sea air and fog, along with high rainfall, combine to moderate temperatures and provide ideal conditions for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and cooler-styled Rhône reds. The Sonoma Coast AVA is a vast appellation that spans over 200,000 hectares of land, incorporating miles of rugged coastline and extending further inland than the Russian River Valley in some places. Unlike Mendocino or Napa there is not an overarching AVA for Sonoma, however all 25,000 hectares under vine are included in one of the 19 AVAs within the county. Sonoma and Napa counties enforce labelling laws requiring the county to be listed on the label regardless of whether the label already states an AVA (like in Sonoma Coast). The county contains 19 AVAs ranging from warm regions where Cabernet Sauvignon and old vine Zinfandel are capable of reaching 16% abv and above to cooler regions that can produce lean and racy Chardonnay. 80 kilometres of coastline is buffered by a ridge which protects the most coastal vineyards from conditions too extreme to ripen grapes.

To the east, the Mayacamas Mountain Range marks the boundary between Sonoma and Napa, and to the western edge of the county is the Pacific Ocean. Vineyards are everywhere and it’s a geologically and climactically diverse area. Petit Verdot is a late-ripening variety, and these warm regions encourage the development of complex flavors and a rich mouthfeel.Sonoma County is one of the largest of northern California’s coastal counties. The majority of the fruit for our Petit Verdot is sourced from our vineyards in the Oakville, Carneros, and Oak Knoll District appellations. Oak barrels contribute a caramel and toasted marshmallow nuance, along with some baking spices. Aromas are dark and brooding, with blackberry, black cherry, fig, mocha, dried herbs, and savory truffles. Petit Verdot is a thick-skinned grape expressing a dense, deep ruby color. The cool growing season develops complexity and intensity in the Bordeaux clone we selected. Our sloping estate vineyards contain 1,520 vines per acre and feature rootstock suited for the heavy clay-loam soils in Carneros. Located at the southern corner of Napa Valley, Carneros is heavily influenced by the cool San Pablo Bay climate. Sourced from the chilly hills of the Carneros region in southern Napa Valley, our estate Merlot reveals aromas of caramelized sugar, dried cranberry, crushed sage, cinnamon stick, clove and toasted oak. We have Malbec planted in four of our estate vineyards and have historically blended it into our Cabernet Sauvignons. Malbec is one of the five great Bordeaux varieties commonly blended with Right Bank wines, and has become the darling of Argentina. The stress of this dense planting in well-drained areas results in smaller berries and more fruit intensity. These vines are vertically trained and densely planted.

Our Cabernet Franc is usually sourced from our Oakville estate vineyard. Although Cabernet Franc is commonly a pale red color, ours is deep ruby, almost purple. Cabernet FrancĬabernet Franc is often used as a blending grape but is lovely as a single bottling.

The result was four red wines that have become additional favorites of our devoted Cabernet Sauvignon fans. But we were curious to see what would happen if we gave as much time and attention to making single-varietal wines out of the grapes historically blended into our Cabernet Sauvignons. Everyone knows that Cabernet Sauvignon is king in the Napa Valley, and especially in the legendary Stags Leap District.

Pine ridge napa valley charmstone red wine 2003