The sight of internationally famous vineyards in the course of wine tasting travels can evoke some contradictory responses. The most obvious is the sense of understanding that that’s where some really great wine comes from. But the other is that, “Oh well, it looks like every other vineyard, so what’s the big deal?” To us, it’s not so much about seeing the famous vines; it comes when we open a bottle from one of those vineyards and can picture the exact location.
Some of these vineyards are right next to the building – let’s call it a château – where the wine is made. Bordeaux law, for example, requires the vines and the winery to be in close contact. In many other parts of the world, the vineyards are free-standing. We have been fortunate enough to have seen many of these unique properties.
Sanford & Benedict vineyard. Photo courtesy of Sanford Winery.
Since this issue is focused on Santa Rita Hills, there are two vineyards that have enormous reputations. Sanford & Benedict is the flagship vineyard of the Sanford Winery and we suppose they keep the best grapes for themselves. But there are many other labels that boast wines from that vineyard, including Fess Parker, Au Bon Climat and even Gary Farrell from way up north in Sonoma County.
The other renowned Santa Rita Hills vineyard is Fiddlestix, which is virtually across the road from Sanford & Benedict. There is no Fiddlestix winery, but the grapes are widely sold. We’re most familiar with Etude’s wine from there. And speaking of Etude, their Heirloom vineyards are pretty special, too.
To Kalon Vineyard, with the Robert Mondavi winery at the rear. Photo courtesy of the winery.
The most famous Napa Valley vineyard is undoubtedly To Kalon. Although there is a To Kalon Vineyard Company, the vast majority of this vineyard’s production is owned by Constellation Brands, which in turn owns Robert Mondavi. Mondavi’s To Kalon Reserve helped establish Napa Valley as capable of making world-class wines.
The most famous European vineyards are in Burgundy. Due to the history and laws of this region, almost all vineyards are split among numerous growers, with individuals sometimes limited to a single row in a single vineyard. So, for example, the Clos de Vougeot in Burgundy (of which we have written before), is shared by many wineries including Jadot, Faiveley, Drouhin and many other smaller producers. They can all claim to have a Clos Vougeot wine, which by itself is a mark of quality.
Two other Burgundy vineyards stand out. Power Tasting has written about Corton-Charlemagne before. Supposedly, Charlemagne owned it back when. Today, it’s the only vineyard in the Côte d’Or that produces both red and white grand cru wines. And we can’t forget the Puligny-Montrachet vineyards. One right next to the other, there’s Montrachet itself, and Chevalier-Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet, plus several others. Connoisseurs differ as to which is the greatest. We’re not connoisseurs but we have walked in those vineyards.