Wild Thyme Vineyard

We planted the Wild Thyme Vineyard with clones Pommard and 943 in the year 2010.  It sits along the ridge-line between our Three Sisters Vineyard and our Blue Slide Ridge Vineyard, on the edge of a sheer canyon that the old timers refer to as “Devil’s Canyon”. The vineyard is just above the fogbank that hugs these coastal cliffs, allowing for this Pinot Noir to ripen slowly, developing layers of complexity and flavor. Wild Thyme Vineyard is named for the wild thyme that grows abundantly at this location, and for the wild times we have had as a family while drinking wine on this property since the 1860s.

The 2022 growing season was full of ups and downs, keeping our winemaking team on their toes. The season started out with ideal conditions with early rains helping to push bud break into Spring. While we encountered instances of shatter (a grape berry fails to develop because of incomplete pollination) due to frost, this was limited to specific vineyards. Meticulous attention was given to addressing this issue, as we diligently assessed each block and thinned any clusters affected by shatter. Thankfully, the summer months offered the optimal combination of warm days and perfectly cool nights. However, Labor Day weekend launched what has been marked as one of the most heat-intensive 7-day periods on record for Sonoma County, resulting in a significant number of vineyards reaching their ripening stage simultaneously.

Capturing you with an intriguing and fragrant nose of blueberry preserves, mountain berries, and warm spices, this wine has a full and rich entry that carries throughout the mid-palate with flavors of boysenberry and sweet barrel spice. The layered tannins intensify the long raspberry finish.