Griffin’s Lair Vineyard

We have had a long history and journey with Griffin’s Lair, relatively speaking of course.  There have been more harvests in my winemaking career working with fruit from Griffin’s Lair than not. 

Griffin’s Lair was planted in 1999 by Joan and Jim Griffin at their tiny ranch just off Lakeville Highway. It was originally planted to roughly 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Syrah (Noir, 470, Alban, and 877 clones) with a couple of rows of Viognier framing the Syrah block. The vineyard sits just five miles above San Pablo Bay at the southern end of the Petaluma Gap, an elbow-shaped valley that essentially acts as a wind tunnel from the coast. 

What’s unique about the Gap is that the hottest part of each day is usually between 11 AM and noon. Dense, dripping fog from the Petaluma River and San Pablo Bay nestles itself right along Lakeville and Highway 37 each morning. By the time the sun has had a chance to burn off that fog by midday, the temperature differential between Griffin’s and the coast reaches a point where it begins to suck that cold air inland, creating said wind tunnel and dropping the afternoon temperature. 

It is because of this wind that we are able to see longer fruit hang time and sugar ripeness more aligned with physiological ripeness. Sugar accumulation happens as a byproduct of photosynthesis, which can only happen when tiny openings on the underside of leaves called stomata are open. Stomata are the gates by which carbon dioxide, an essential substrate of photosynthesis, enters the plant. Excessive winds actually force the stomata to close, blocking the gas exchange and essentially halting all photosynthetic activity in the early afternoon most days at Griffin’s Lair. Less photosynthesis happening each day means sugar accumulating at a more gradual pace, which means more hang time for the fruit, which means greater flavor development in the skins of the berries. Et voila, the magic of Griffin’s Lair and the Petaluma Gap.

In 2018, Susan Colb and her family took over as stewards of Griffin’s Lair. They originally planted vineyards on their family ranch in Chile in the mid 1990s under the watchful eyes of Ann Kraemer and Byron Kosuge, the very same duo that would help Joan and Jim plant Griffin’s Lair just a few years later. Serendipity! We look forward to the future of Griffin’s Lair and continuing our relationship with such a staggering site.

Ricci Vineyard

Ricci Vineyard is located off Ramal Road in the Carneros region of Sonoma. It is divided into two locations, less than a mile from each other as the crow flies. While most of the vineyards are primarily planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, owner and operator, Dale Ricci, has St. Laurent planted in each location and has plans for additional varietal diversity in the coming years. The vineyards are planted on Huichica loam, a slightly acidic soil found predominantly in flood plains (i.e. the entire Carneros region). The average temperature during the growing season stays relatively mild with heat spikes being offset by its juxtaposition to the Schell Slough and San Pablo Bay. Thick morning fog is a daily occurence, as are afternoon winds blowing through the Sonoma Valley. With views of the towering Mt. Tamalpais and the San Francisco skyline in the distance, these vines are living the life.

St. Laurent’s origins are often discussed and debated, though most agree that it is a descendent of Pinot Noir. Today, it is mostly planted in Austria and their northern neighbor, the Czech Republic. It made its journey west at the turn of the millennium when Dale imported budwood from some of the last remaining vines of St. Laurent in Germany to plant on his home vineyard in Carneros. We damn sure are glad he did and are thrilled to have been able to work with the Ricci’s (and Kohfeld’s) since 2018.

Unti Vineyard

Unti Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, employs organic farming techniques such as building soil health through the use of compost and planting off-season cover crops instead of chemical fertilizers. They also use mechanical and manual techniques for weed removal instead of harmful herbicides and pesticides. The Unti family are ecologically-minded farmers looking to the future and we are extremely happy to be working with them.

Our rows are situated at the bottom of a steep ravine on the east side of Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg, nestled alongside an old creek bed (insert Dry Creek joke of your choice here). Four rows of Sangiovese were budded over to Vermentino in the early 2000’s. The vines are protected from the hot afternoon sun, allowing for extended fruit hang time and, in turn, the development of more complex flavors. Wines from this tiny block are bright and tropical, bursting with citrus aromas complemented by a honeyed edge.

High Camp Vineyard

High Camp Vineyard is situated in San Miguel, just a few minutes north of Paso Robles, in the Estrella District. It is primarily comprised of alluvial sandy loams and clay pushed up from terraces of ancient river bottoms, which provides fertile soil for growing a variety of premium wine grapes. High Camp has over 10 different grape varieties planted across its 75 acres, one of which is our coveted Cabernet Pfeffer!

Cool mornings are quickly followed by warm afternoons most days at Siletto. Though evenings drop the temperature quicker than expected, a benefit afforded by being in the eastern shadow of the Gabilan mountain range. The soils, climate, geographical location, and the Siletto family’s commitment to organic farming practices all align to grow some damn beautiful grapes and we are ecstatic to be working with their fruit.