Vineyards
Flanagan Vineyard in Bennett Valley
Our vineyard sits at 1200 ft. elevation on the south and southwest facing slopes of Bennett Ridge in Sonoma County and has 13 acres of vines planted. The soils are rocky, volcanic cobbles with excellent drainage. The vines were planted in 2001 and 2002 on 6 x 4 spacing. Our vineyards perch at the confluence of two maritime influences: San Pablo Bay to the south and the Petaluma Gap to the west. Being a warm site in a cool climate means we bud break early and pick late. The extra hang time for the grapes, along with the low yields and the hillside site, delivers intense, complex fruit with beautiful flavors.
We farm sustainably with year round cover crops, no tilling of the soils, and hand work on the vines. We even use the process water from the winery to water our 450 olive trees. We have had the great fortune to create this vineyard from a blank canvas. Every aspect from site selection, to vine row spacing and orientation, to trellising, to root stock and clone selection was done with the intention of producing a great wine. Our meticulous focus in the vineyard and our practice of vinifying each small block separately helps us learn from our site every year. Because of the feedback from the vineyard we now have the southwest facing slopes planted to Syrah, while the south facing higher elevation sights remain planted to Cabernet.
Current acres in vine by varietal:
Cabernet 6.0
Merlot 1.5
Syrah 5.5
Flanagan Vineyard in Russian River Valley
Our 29 acre vineyard in the Russian River Valley spreads across a barrel shaped bench that runs from Southeast to Northwest and sits about 1 mile east of the Russian River. Surrounded by world-renowned Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards, our vineyard consists of these two varietals. The Chardonnay is predominantly Wente and Robert Young clones while the Pinot is divided between Swan and Pommard clones. Old oaks crown the surrounding hills and cooling fog rolls in along Starr Creek, which is a tributary of the Russian River.
The soil structure consists of a mix of volcanic and alluvial clays. The way that the vines sit atop the bench means that we do not need frost protection in the vineyard. Cold air, like water, rolls down the gently slopes of the bench. This aspect also means that the vineyard enjoys good draining, which helps keep the grapes healthy and free of rot. We maintain a cover crop of native grasses throughout the vineyard, which stabilizes and nourishes the soil, limits erosion, and encourages bio-diversity.
Current acres in vine by varietal:
Chardonnay 23.5
Pinot Noir 5.5
