Falstaff
What say you?
Only other acceptable answer is Alpine Swan Terrace.
Hanzell
Too early to tell for me - either the vineyards are too young, or my experience with them is too brief. Here are some of my favorites:
Alpine
Skyline
Swan Terrace
Hirsch
Savoy
Kiser en Haut
Kiser en Bas
Summa (Old Vine)
Dehiinger Goldridge Old Vine
Rochioli West Block and Little Hill
Trout Gulch
Legan
Porter Bass
Cerise
Thieriot
Allen
Mount Eden
Sorry I can’t be more specific!
Big fan of Kanzler, Summa, and Keefer.
Cheers,
Scott
Coastlands
Sea Smoke.
Because obviously it’s Cali’s only Grand Cru vineyard.
Interesting to debate, but I really think it is way too soon to even speculate on this.
I once started (and never finished) a book on California’s great vineyards. I came up with a standard that a vineyard had to be used by multiple wineries for 10 years or by one winery for 15 years (and, of course, the wines coming from the vineyard had to be fantastic). – I won’t wade in on the individual vineyards, but think a standard of some sort would be helpful if we are going to go down the path of discussing this.
Adam Lee
Siduri Wines
I like Mike D’s list and I think Garys’, Pisoni, Fiddlestix, maybe Bien Nacido get into the conversation too?
Was going to mention this after drinking my first bottle last night. Any other land holders aside from Cobb?
Several.
I Like this standard as a starting point. I think 10 vintages from a single site is a good place to start a conversation if the vineyard should be considered a great vineyard.
My choices already mentioned would be Rochioli, Dehlinger, Pisoni and Hirsch. One that has not been mentioned, or I missed, is the Schultze (Windy Oaks) Vineyard.
Alan, absolutely those vineyards belong in the conversation.
Brig, I believe one day Kiser will shine at the top, although for now I feel like it too soon to make that coronation. It does make for me a perennially strong wine (akin to some criteria that Uncle Sid suggested above relative to wineries). Pisoni might be getting close. And akin to the runway that Kiser is on, maybe Swan Terrace and Skyline.
TBD, but Calera’s Selleck will be the one to beat.
Allen from W-S
Adam’s criteria make a lot of sense and I’d have mentioned them myself if he hadn’t. That said, why are we not discussing Zinfandel where CA really can honestly claim true terroirs?
My choice are:
Selleck
Jensen
Bien Nacido
Sanford Benedict
Solomon Hills, not sure how old this is.
Marcassin
Peter raises a great point. I’m much more confident regarding CAs Zinfandel vineyards and somewhat more confident with Cab vineyards.
Pinot is a much more recent, unfolding story. It is going to be an epic story.
That’s my pick as well.
I know that Allen was originally planted over 40 years ago. Has this vineyard been replanted?