Terroir Matters. It speaks to a unique sense of place, at a moment in time, and holds the soul of the wine.
Terroir is defined through years of observation, and our 125 years of collected harvest data, winemaker entries, chemical analyses and tasting notes are all utilized to help define the “Livermore terroir.”
So, what constitutes the terroir of Livermore Valley? Noted characteristics of the finest Livermore wines over the centuries include: firm but not astringent tannins, plush mouth feel (most Bordeaux reds); excellent color extraction; rich fruit and floral notes (notably Merlot, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon); and minerality (ranging from wet slate to dusty gravel, depending on variety and vineyard).
Many of the finest elements of terroir are fragile, and do not survive modern vineyard practices. Our pioneering sustainable micro farming in select vineyards allows us to adapt our cultivation practices to the terroir, providing us with the best hand selected, scarce fruit, from an isolated site in the vineyard. This micro farming approach allows us to select the ideal part of the vineyard in which to grow and harvest, for our unique style, that speaks truly of Livermore.
Fruit yields are low, and prices are high. There is no economy of scale in crafting a terroir wine. Wines of terroir are hand harvested, a small price to pay considering the scarcity of the fruit. They are hand sorted, both at the vineyard and at the winery – no mechanical processing whatsoever. Fermentation is customized to the vineyard, the variety and the vintage.
