We salute the pioneering spirits who developed the Calaveras County wine industry. Those who made a life in the Sierra's and in so doing created a life-style for  us who followed.

My wines deviate a little from his original protocols, and 100 % of our new barrel purchases are from the Tonnelerie-Radoux cooperage.

Nothing is spared for quality in the vineyard or with the winemaking regime. The use of modern knowledge and facilities are built upon the strong foundation of sound winemaking traditions.

-Harvested at near 27 brix but allowing flavor to be the deciding picking factor.
-Partial whole berry fermentation.
-The use of Bordeaux yeast strains.
-The use of egg-whites as a fining agent.
-Long French oak barrel aging.
-Simple infrequent topping and racking during the aging process.
Because complexity and richness are found in the blending process several small stainless steel tanks are used at harvest; thus, creating the ability to perfect the final product.

Nothing is rushed, the grapes are selectively harvested, (often making several passes) cleaned in the vineyard prior to being brought to the winery and sorted a third time as they are being crushed. Once in tank the crushed fruit is cold soaked for several days and inoculated with Bordeaux yeast to begin fermentation.

The extended maceration time and splash top pump over twice a day assures the complex rich flavors and colors will be extracted from the skins, seeds and pulp. The juice is free-run and along with the juice pressed off the skins, and added to barrels. We age a very long time in order to soften the wine and provide the complexity and richness the toasted oak gives.

Topping and racking occur infrequently over the course of a two year stay in  barrel.

A strong emphasis is placed on the blending and fining of the wine prior to bottling.
This is where "the art meets the science" and one "must understand not what you are making at the moment, but what will evolve over time."

These vineyards embody the truest essence of mountain viticulture. The Coyote Ridge Peninsula is being recognized as a crown jewel of california viticulture; an exceptional world class sub-appellation with very real terroir!

Native grases also play an extremely important role in our growing practices by:

-Removing early season water from the ground.
-Providing valuable erosion control.
-Sustaining the mycroryzal fungus the vines use to uptake micro-nutrients.
-Changing the wave-length of light that reflects off the vineyard floor and into the canopy to stimulate anthocynins.

The above assist in true Terroir and in dealing with the areas limited water.
The average di-urnal temperature variation is about 35 degrees.

The lake buffers hot weather by 4-6 degrees daily providing early bud-break in the spring, and cooling air currents in the summer.

Our key viticulture philosophy is to create small berry size; thus, increasing the surface area of skins to volume of berry flesh, and super concentrating the fruit.

A quadrilateral trellis system aids in berry management by over-cropping early in the season then thinning fruit after berry set to about 2-3 tons per acre. The result is perfectly balanced pH and acid with rich colors and distictive ripe flavors. No vegatative or earthy componants, just rich, full bright red-fruits complimented with the complextity of blending, and the chocolate and vanilla from toasted barrels.