Coturri Winery - The Vineyards




	The Vineyards Coturri Estate Vineyard Chauvet Vineyards Jewell Vineyards Freiberg Vineyards Maclise Vineyards Albarello (Hoaglund Vineyards) Feingold Vineyards Forsythe Vineyards (formally Anderson) Crane Vineyards Testa Vineyards Click here for a glossary of terms. Coturri Estate Vineyard Zinfandel and Chardonnay (7-acres) Sonoma Mountain The history: The Coturri Estate Vineyard is situated at the Coturri Winery along Enterprise Road on Sonoma Mountain. It is above the tiny hamlet of Glen Ellen in the region known as the Valley of the Moon. Red Coturri and his sons Phil and Tony first planted 2-acres of vines in 1967, and another 5-acres in 1975. The Estate Vineyard is a second generation planting - the first was pre-prohibition before the 1920's. The vineyard is comprised of primarily of Martini Monte Rosso Zinfandel clones on phylloxera resistant St. George rootstock, with approximately a half acre of Chardonnay. The Coturri Estate Vineyard is dry farmed, and head pruned in the traditional Italian goblet style. Micro-Climate: The location is unique for a Sonoma Valley Appellation vineyard- it sits at 750 feet above sea level, which is a perfect elevation for Zinfandel grapes. Tucked into the cleavage of Sonoma Mountain, the vines receive a southeast sun exposure. Creeping seasonal coastal fog off the Pacific Ocean injects a beneficial cooling effect during the summer months and the vineyard avoids the extreme heat that vines on the valley floor get. Conversely, from January to April, it is warmer up on Sonoma Mountain and the vines are protected from winter and spring frosts. The coolness of Sonoma Mountain and the low grape yield results in a very lush and soft style of Zinfandel. The Estate Zin always has a very broad on the palate feel, the wine spreads out through the mouth. We tend to let the fruit hang longer than most vineyards and consistently get a late harvest style of wine: very dark color, blackberries and apple pie in the nose, a sweet black fruit mid palate and supple and balancing acidity. This combination results in a good drinking, flavorful Zinfandel. Soils: Many moons ago, Sonoma Mountain was an active volcano and a series of eruptions spewed ash and lava to create diverse soil types at the site of the vineyard. The dry farmed vines at the Coturri Estate Vineyard send down deep taproots that encounter different rocky red clay based soils, and layers of volcanic decomposed ash and lava, which adds complexity to the grapes. Balanced nutritious elements and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium are added to the soil by planting cover crops like peas, oats, winter wheat and mustard and disking in ground up oyster shells and compost. An important cover crop used is bell beans, a deep-rooted legume with nodules that act like a straw to suck nitrogen from the air into the soil, this naturally occurring process is called nitrogen fixation. Environmentally sound farming practices: Only the best agricultural practices are employed at the Estate Vineyard and it receives special handling to ensure that something is growing in the soils all year round. Tony Coturri personally attends to the vines at the Estate vineyards. Weeds are controlled by disking, and the resulting mulch captures important moisture for the dry farmed vines. The open head pruned vines or "monkey claw" controls mildew problems. Like all of the vineyards grown and maintained by the Coturri's, no pesticides, fungicides, or herbicides are ever used on the Estate vineyard, and it is certified by the CCOF. In 1996, Tony and Phil Coturri earned top honors from the Sonoma Valley Ecology Center for Environmentally Friendly Business Practices with their viticultural farming and winemaking practices. Return to top of the page. Chauvet Vineyards Zinfandel (10 acres) Sonoma Valley Appellation The history: In the 1870's, Joshua Chauvet first planted grapes in Glen Ellen. He was one of the earliest and most prominent citizens of this small farming village. The Chauvet Vineyard is located in the heart of the Valley of the Moon on Sonoma Highway 12 adjacent to BR Cohn Winery. The historic vineyard is 10-acres of head pruned Zinfandel and divided into two sections, the East Block and West Block. The Zinfandel in the East Block was planted in 1936 by the Canuccio family. Legend has it that a quarter stick of dynamite was used in each planting hole to loosen the soil. This was, of course, before large earth moving equipment was economically feasible for a small farmer. The Chauvet vineyards are located on the valley floor and are rich soils that hold moisture, allowing it to be dry farmed (meaning it is not irrigated through the growing season). Robert and Blythe Carver are the proprietors of Chauvet Vineyards since 1972. They planted the West Block in 1976, and in 1999, Phil Coturri replanted a portion of the West Block. Like the Estate Vineyard, the Chauvet Vineyards are California Zinfandel clones on St. George rootstock, head pruned and dry farmed. As with all of the other vineyards that Phil Coturri maintains, the Chauvet Vineyards are farmed in an environmentally friendly manner. The East Block yields about half of what the West Block produces. The East Block gives character, concentration of flavors and deep color to the wine. The East Block adds fruitiness and the blackberry qualities that make this Zinfandel so attractive. Usually the two blocks wines are blended together, resulting in a nicely balanced, fruity, bright and attractive wine. The Zinfandel from Chauvet is always very popular and really harkens to old time Sonoma Valley style Zinfandel. Return to top of the page. Jewell Vineyards Pinot Noir (16-acres) Sonoma Mountain Kate and Barry Roach, proprietors of Jewell Vineyards since 1990, have worked with Bob Cannard, noted soil conservationist and sustainable farmer, to produce the highest quality Pinot Noir grapes while creating the most environmentally sound of vineyards. The 16-acre vineyard is on the northeast shoulder of Sonoma Mountain at 700 feet elevation. The vines are 37 years old and are dry farmed. The clone selection is the famed Wente #13, and is on St. George rootstock. This clone is from old California selections that produce forward fruit, deep dark color, and firm ripe acids. Bob Cannard is best known for the organic produce and greens that he supplies to Alice Waters famous Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley, CA. He recently took on corporations like the giant Monsanto and it's genetically modified plants and seeds, by organizing the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Labeling Ballot Initiative. Return to top of the page. Freiberg Vineyards Zinfandel (4-acres) and Sangiovese (2-acres) Sonoma Mountain A well-regarded viticulturist named Joe Miami (vineyard manager for the Sonoma Valley Martini Monte Rosso Vineyards) originally planted this vineyard with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the 1970's. The owner, Myron Freiberg was one of the first grape growers to introduce natural growing techniques to the Sonoma Valley and northern California. Myron was way ahead of his time, concerned about chemical use and unhealthy farming practices long before it had become fashionable. In 1979, Myron challenged and inspired Phil Coturri to go entirely sustainable. After a number of great vintages it became apparent that while the quality was high the vineyard was in decline. In 1994, Phil Coturri replanted the vineyard to Zinfandel using the same Martini Monte Rosa clone that is on his P. Coturri Family Vineyard. The two acres of Sangiovese vines were added in 1997. Myron has since passed away and his son Jeff is the current owner. Return to top of the page. Maclise Vineyards Merlot (8 acres) Sonoma Valley Gay Maclise planted this 8 acres of Merlot in the Sobre Vista area of Sonoma Valley in 1993. Sobre Vista tucks up in the south side of Sonoma Mountain. It's relatively cool plus this vineyard is planted on the shores of a small lake that tempers the hot summers even more; a perfect place for Merlot. The Maclise Merlot is a dry wine with a dry cherry nose, broad mouth feel and a fine tannin finish. This wine is almost Cabernet Sauvignon like in structure and tannins but is very accessible and softer than most Cab's. It is the little younger brother of the mighty Cab. This wine very much shows the beauty and power of Merlot and why Merlot traditionally is a fine and much sought after wine, when correctly grown and vinified. Return to top of the page. Albarello (Hoaglund Vineyards) 40% Zinfandel, 40% Petite Sirah (10 acres) Sonoma Valley Albarello: Italian for low pruned or head pruned vines. The grapes for this wine are grown at Hoaglund Vineyards in the south eastside of Sonoma Valley on Gehricke Road before Ravenswood and across from Sebastiani Winery. The vineyard was planted in the 1930's and is dry farmed. It is primarily Zinfandel (40%) and Petite Sirah (40%) with small amounts of Carignane, Barbera, Alicante-Bouschet and Early Burgundy, and a tiny (less than one-half percent) of white grapes - three varieties - Sauvignon Vert, Semillon and Muscat Canelli which gives the nose its floral quality. The different red and white varietals were planted at random so the vineyard is picked as a whole and fermented together. Back in the 1930's when these vines were planted, the grape grower and wine maker agreed upon a selection of grape varietals that would produce a consistently full bodied red table wine. The result is a field blend that is unlike any other wine we produce. Albarello has a deep garnet color and floral nose, a sweet, fruity middle from the Zinfandel and a strong acid backbone from the Petit Sirah. The acid structure has an appealing tartness reminiscent of cranberries. Return to top of the page. Feingold Vineyards Merlot and Syrah (8 acres) Sonoma Mountain Stan Feingold and family hired Phil Coturri to plant this vineyard in 1990. From its first vintage it has produced fantastic fruit. In Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide he wrote - "The 1993 Merlot from the Feingold Vineyard is Coturri's debut Merlot release. I did not find anything controversial about this super concentrated, rich wine. Because Coturri utilizes no SO2 (sulfites), my instincts suggest the wine may evolve quickly, although I have not found that to be the case with several older bottling I have in my cellar. The 1993 Merlot offers a saturated black/purple color and a huge, rich nose of spices, earth, and black cherry fruit. Amazingly full bodied and unctuous, with low acidity and magnificent fruit and richness, this thick, chewy Merlot should drink well for 5-7 years, possibly longer." Robert Parker rated this wine 90 points. Return to top of the page. Forsythe Vineyards (formally Anderson) Zinfandel (2 acres) Napa Valley John Anderson planted this vineyard in 1997, and the Forsythe family purchased it in 1999. It is in an area known as the Lovell Valley loop - with half of the valley in Sonoma and half in Napa. It is a box canyon with access to it only from the Sonoma side. While carrying the name of the "other" valley Forsythe Zinfandel is all Sonoma Valley. It is planted with the St. George rootstock and the Martini Monte Rosso (Red Mountain) Zinfandel clone. This 19th century clone manifests itself in dark, full-bodied wine. The vineyard is 6 acres and should produce 500 cases in full production. Return to top of the page. Crane Vineyards Syrah (6 acres) Sonoma Valley In 1999, we released our L'Art de Vivre labeled wines, which literally means "The Art of Living", a translation closer to what the French understand "the essentials of life". We are trying to portray the very hand made quality of our wines through this image. We choose a hand-lettered graphic that is unique to our label. The artist gave the label the feeling that the label was handwritten in the mid 1800's. "Wine" as Thomas Jefferson said "is an essential of life for me" - is the larger impression we are trying to give. The Crane Vineyard is in an area of Sonoma Valley that should be called the "Northern Carneros". A long cool dry season allowed this Syrah to ripen slowly and completely. Some very hot days during the growing season bring forward the fruit qualities. The balance of acidities and ripe fruit are the hallmark of this wine. Return to top of the page. Testa Vineyards Mendocino County In 1912, Italian-American immigrants Gaetano and Maria Testa had a dream to develop and own their own vineyards. They purchased 100 acres of raw land in Calpella, California which reminded them of their homeland Gallerete, Italy. Using Belgian draft horses, dynamite, and lots of sweat they worked from sunrise to sunset to clear and plant the site which is now Testa Vineyards. In 1945, they bought their first tractor, a D-2 Caterpillar, which is still used every spring for the ceremonial ground breaking. Maria's great-grandparents Gaetano (Nono) and Maria (Nona) Testa (circa 1950). Nona was an excellent cook. Gaetano was a train switchman in northern Italy, and brought with him a vision of owning his own vineyards. He immigrated to America in 1908. Today, the Testa family (Maria and Rusty) are carrying on this legacy and continuing to live the dream as fourth-generation grape growers farming the same land Maria's great-grandparents worked - a section of Mendocino County just on the border of the Redwood Valley AVA. The Testa family takes great pride in maintaining the vineyards, where they employ labor intensive, hands on, old world, traditional and sustainable farming techniques. Return to top of the page. Glossary of Terms Carignane ("Care - ig - nawn") is an old varietal, originally planted in the South of France. Once it was the most common red wine grape in California. After prohibition Carignane was used as a blending grape to make the non-varietal jug reds your parents drank. This Carignane comes from very old vines dating back to the original Italian immigrants who planted Mendocino's vineyards in the last century. Charbono ("Shar-BOE-noe") is an obscure black grape and rare varietal (only 80 or so acres exist in California - most all in Napa and Mendocino). Charbono is an exotic study in contrasts, to look at it you would think it would be a brawny monster as it has a thick inky, opaque purple color, but its nose is a distinctive aroma of plums accented by floral like perfume. Its a mystery how such a dark wine when drunk with your eyes closed could pass for a white wine. Return to top of the page. home \| meet the family \| order wine \| winemaking \| vineyards \| reviews \| contact \| where to buy