The Blending Blocks
Four acres of Bordeaux blending varieties plus ... Mourvèdre!
The Blending Blocks total approximately 4.5 acres adjacent to The Brothers Vineyard on the north and the Hall and Sloan properties to the south. The blocks are planted to the primary Bordeaux blending cultivars: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Mourvèdre.
The two-acre Merlot block was planted in 1994 with Clone 181 on 110-R rootstock. Clone 181 has proved to be extremely well-suited for the site, producing fruit in smaller clusters and with smaller berries than some other clones. The Merlot is an important blending grape in our second Cabernet Sauvignon -- “The Ranch” -- contributing to the wine’s soft, approachable character when young. In 2010 we held out a barrel to try the Merlot as a stand-alone varietal. We loved it and since then have bottled as much as is available after our Cabernet blends are complete.
The one-acre Petit Verdot Vineyard is named after Levi Philander Davis, who in 1878 homesteaded what is now the Snowden Ranch. We use the Petit Verdot primarily as a blending component in our Reserve Cabernet Sauvignons, although it occasionally appears in smaller percentages in “The Ranch.” In 2011, we produced a small amount of 100% Petit Verdot as a varietal bottling to learn more about the character of the vineyard, the contribution our Petit Verdot makes to the Reserve blend, and the behavior of the varietal as it ages. Like our trial with the Merlot, we are so pleased with the Petit Verdot that we have continued to bring out a small amount each year as a varietal bottling.
Our one-acre Cabernet Franc block was planted in 1994 and is named after Melchior Kemper, who purchased the ranch in 1888. Through the 2011 harvest, the fruit was a key blending component in our Reserve Cabernet Sauvignons. Commencing with the 2013 vintage, we have bottled Cabernet Franc as a stand-alone varietal -- although it will occasionally also appear in a blend when winemaker Diana Snowden Seysses believes it will complement another varietal. (Our blends are always described by percent on the back label of each bottle.)
Last but not least, there is a small block, just under half an acre, where we trial new varieties -- the only way to know how they will perform on our terroir. Over the years there has been Petit Verdot (the wines were delightful and we've since planted a larger block nearby), Malbec (which turned out to be ... uncomfortable ... on our site), Grenache (also not a perfect match), and most recently Mourvèdre (a great match -- we've been bottling it in small lots as an unblended varietal since the 2022 vintage). We call this the Ward Eisan block, honoring the Eisan family -- Ward share cropped the vineyards for the first two years after we arrived -- and his brother Albert was an owner of the ranch before the Snowdens arrived.