STERLING RANCH - NORGARD FARMS
Just south of the town of Ukiah, on the northernmost end of the Mayacamas mountain range on the Talmage Bench, Tim Norgard planted ~11 acres of Chenin Blanc in 1980. Grafted onto AXR1 and a mix of nursery budwood and cuttings from a neighbor, it is a miracle that this vineyard still lives and a testament to Tim’s sheer determination to keep these vines in the ground. As the very first commercial fruit contract for T. Berkley Wines, this vineyard holds a special place in my heart and is now farmed organically and with great care by Umberto Nunez. Deep roots search for water to ward off the summer heat and the nearby presence of the Russian River helps moderate temperatures during the night, allowing this fruit to hang into late September year after year.
BIG RANCH VINEYARD
The vineyard formerly known as Oak Knoll is an exceptional old vine Cabernet Franc vineyard in the Oak Knoll District of the Napa Valley. Planted in 1978 by the McKenzie-Mueller family, who stills farms the site to this day, these are amazing Cabernet Franc vines. High trellised California sprawl canopies provide shade to the fruit from the Napa sun, allowing for even ripening, and are a snapshot into the vineyards of Napa’s past.
THALIA VINEYARD
In the hills above the town of Calistoga, in the Knights Valley Appellation, Sheila Lagios has a jewel of a Cabernet Franc vineyard that we have taken exclusively since 2017. Three acres of ~25 year old Cabernet Franc are surrounded by carefully tended olive trees. Farmed organically, Thalia Vineyard has been a core of Ophelia and provides the whole cluster Cab Franc that forms the backbone of each vintages Rosé. After a few years of patient work with the fruit, Thalia is making an overdue Single Vineyard debut.
SINGING HILLS VINEYARD
Chalk Hill AVA, on the western slopes of the Mayacamas mountain range, has long been home to premium vineyards. Defined by the white quartzite-rich volcanic soils from which it draws its name, the region is less thoroughly planted than its more known neighbors Alexander Valley and the Russian River Valley. But it has been on my radar since my time spent working on Chalk Hill at Roth and Lancaster Estates. So in 2021 I was extremely excited to find out that David Motara, a fellow University of Illinois graduate, had planted a vineyard along the spine of a mountain that he was calling Singing Hills. Planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon, the 1.50 acres of Cabernet Franc (and the 0.16 acres of Petit Verdot) have since their first fruit been destined for a Single Vineyard Designate Cabernet Franc.
SKYPINE VINEYARDS
The most extreme site that I have the pleasure of working with, Skypine is also the newest addition and will not be released until the Fall of 2024. Over 2000 feet in elevation in the Pine Mountain/Cloverdale Peak AVA, Tim Ward has quilted a mountainside with a beautiful mosaic of vines. Planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon, there are three blocks of Cabernet Franc that pepper the site and that we source. Above the fogline, but more ravaged by the elements at its height, this vineyard already shows great potential in the wine made from it.
