2019 Montepulciano – River Ranch Vineyard

The River Ranch is our home ranch. Our lives are rooted here and our memories start here. Roughly 108 acres, the River Ranch is located alongside the Mokelumne River and has the Gill Creek Slough running through it. These native areas boast quail, river otter, deer, kingfisher, and beaver (just to name a few) that we often see when we are checking the six vineyard blocks, that are comprised of five unique varietals. Each varietal takes advantage of the waterways and microclimate, producing distinct wines that are truly reflective of this special place.

The 2019 growing season brought above-average winter rainfall that transitioned into a mildly-cold and wet early spring. The first sign of bud-break was slightly later than prior years, however, with a very warm April our vines responded with rapid growth. May arrived with a strong winter-like storm dropping between two and three inches of rain causing fast growing canopies that required leaf pulling and trimming to open the vine for even ripening. Verasion progressed steadily to harvest which began at the end of July and continued through October, where on average there was moderate daytime warmth and cool evenings that helped retain the winegrapes’ freshness.

Jahant AVA – Located in the center of the Lodi AVA, the Jahant AVA is geographically the smallest of Lodi’s seven AVAs – a total size of 28,000 acres, with roughly 9,000 acres planted to vineyard. It sits on highly dissected river terraces and old floodplain deposits. The classic Mediterranean climate has Delta fog influence, and receives cold air drainage and entrapment within our vineyards.