Vineyards & Terroir
“Purity of Fruit. Provenance of Place. Devotion to Family.”
Cousins Vineyard
Pellegrini Family Estate — Russian River Valley — Chardonnay & Pinot Noir
Nestled along Olivet Lane in the heart of the Russian River Valley, the Pellegrini Family's Cousins Vineyard is renowned for its old-vine heritage and benchland terroir. The signature morning fog burns off to reveal warm afternoon sun, allowing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to achieve flawless phenolic maturity while preserving bright, natural acidity.
Clones
As a talented winemaker, Mitchell Masotti has cut his teeth producing some of California's finest burgundian wines to date. Primarily seeking out mature vineyard sites with nuance and character, Cousins Vineyard showcases rich, vibrant and balanced Pinot Noir wines. Blended with carefully selected California Heritage Clones - Clone 23 (Mariafeld), Calera and Mount Eden. These clones produce deeply colored wines, layered with firm structure and acid-laden verve.
Appellation
The Russian River Valley fosters an extensive agricultural area with an array of climates and soil types. Typically, cool foggy mornings give way to warm afternoons and cooling nights refreshed by the coastal marine influences through the Petaluma Gap. The soil type is the Goldridge series, predominately marine limestone decomposed over millennia - sandy loam with pockets of light clay and river cobble composition. This unique terroir contributes to the world class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines with intense fruit and balanced acidity vintage after vintage.
Tench Vineyard
Tench Family Estate — Oakville, Napa Valley — Cabernet Sauvignon
Situated on the prestigious eastern bench of Oakville at the foot of the Vaca Mountains, Tench Vineyards is home to 60-year-old family estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon vines. The well-drained volcanic red soils yield intensely concentrated fruit with muscular tannins, graphite minerality, and profound structural elegance.
Clones
Winemaker Mitchell Masotti has worked with the highly coveted Tench Estate Cabernet Sauvignon for over 15 years. The Tench family has meticulously selected clones and rootstocks to match the soil types of the property giving way to the balance of the vine in correlation to the land. Among the many, the Audelyn Cabernet Sauvignon wines are made from See Clone and Clone 4. Providing fruit forward, rich cassis and black fruit, layered by firm tannins matured in the deep iron red laden, rocky alluvial loam soils.
Appellation
Tench Vineyard and Estate is firmly nested in the eastern valley floor of Oakville, Napa Valley appellation. Oakville is considered by some to be the 'Rodeo Drive' of Napa Valley's most seductive and alluring Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Where a small band of volcanic iron rich rock and dirt flowed down to the valley floor from the Vaca Mountain range millions of years ago. Cooled by the San Pablo bay influences at night, the warmer days give way to full bodied, opulent dark black fruit and powerful Cabernet Sauvignon wines.