Yorkville Highlands: birth of an AVA

Wines & Vines, Oct, 2005 by Larry Walker

If you take California State Highway 128 west from Cloverdale in northern Sonoma County, you are soon climbing on the twisting two-lane road through a jumble of hilly benchland and rocky canyons. Very few driving the route would know that they have entered one of California's newer appellations, the Yorkville Highlands, which runs for some 16 miles on either side of Highway 128 in a generally northwestern direction. It is connected to the Alexander Valley AVA to the east and the Anderson Valley AVA to the west. But those who care about wine, especially those in the trade looking for a hot new area, will soon be hearing more about the Yorkville Highlands.

The appellation was granted in 1998, and is part of the larger Mendocino appellation. It is entirely within Mendocino County. Vineyards are mostly above 800 feet, with the highest--a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard--planted at 1,920 feet. Soils are gravel and brittle rock, generally thin, compared to the heavier clay soils of adjoining valleys. Rainfall is plentiful, averaging 66 inches per year, compared to 40 inches in Anderson Valley to the west. It is a slightly warmer region than Anderson Valley, but cooler than Alexander Valley.

The higher elevations, especially those with full sun exposure, tend to be warmer than lower plantings, although the higher elevations are also often quite windy, which can slow grape maturation. A good example can be found at Wattle Creek's 125-acre vineyard, planted under the supervision of vineyard consultant Phil Freese. The lower elevations were planted to Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, the exposed hilltops were planted to Syrah, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and three Bordeaux varietals. In general, the higher elevations are above the fog level. The Yorkville harvest is typically two weeks later than Wattle Creek's estate vineyard in Alexander Valley.

"We are very pleased with the Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay at the lower elevations," said Michael Scholz, the winemaker. "At the top of the vineyard it's much warmer by 10 or 11 in the morning." Scholz said he thinks in the long run that Syrah might be the best choice for the higher plantings.

"It makes a very dense, inky wine. The main issue is how to handle the structure of the Syrah," Scholz said. He added that he also makes a Syrah from the Alexander Valley vineyard. "They are two different animals. The Alexander Valley wine is fruit-forward, while the Yorkville Syrah has more structure and shows the terroir," he said. Scholz agreed that the flavor profile of the Yorkville Syrah is reminiscent of wines of the northern Rhone region of France.

"I also have a hunch that Merlot might do well here at higher elevations," he said. "The first crop is promising, but it's mostly speculation at this point." There are just under 3 acres of Merlot planted at the vineyard.

The plantings at Wattle Creek reflect, to some extent, the vines planted throughout the Yorkville Highlands AVA. There is a strong tilt toward red grapes and toward the Bordeaux varieties, although Syrah is a contender.

When Edward and Deborah Wallo bought Yorkville Cellars in 1988, there were 9 acres of Sauvignon Blanc in the ground. The grapes had been planted in 1982, and had been certified as organic in 1986, one of the first certified organic vineyards in California. The Wallos had originally planned to grow and sell grapes to other wineries. In studying weather records, they determined that because of heat summation and other considerations, Bordeaux was the way to go. The success of the Sauvignon Blanc already planted supported that decision. It was also in line with Deborah Wallo's taste. She is English and grew up, so to speak, on claret.

"We planted Semillon, and in 1989 and in 1990, the red Bordeaux varieties," Edward Wallo said. It is perhaps the only vineyard in California to have all of the six Bordeaux red varieties (Carmenere was recently added to the basic five, and a single varietal Carmenere will be made) as well as Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. "We kept the organic farming going with the new vineyards," Wallo said. Plantings were made under the supervision of Steve Williams, a viticultural consultant with wide experience in Mendocino, particularly in the Yorkville and Anderson Valley areas. His company is called Anderson Valley Viticulture Services.

The quality of the fruit convinced the Wallos that they could market their own wines, and in 1994 they established Yorkville Cellars. Since 1995, the wines have been made by Gregory Graziano. Each variety is bottled separately, and there is a white varietal blend, Eleanor of Aquitaine and a red blend, Richard the Lion-Heart, giving consumers the rare opportunity to taste the varieties side by side and the blend as well. The wines are of exceptional quality.

George and Kit Lee, owners of the Lee Family Vineyard on the Old Chatham Ranch, also turned to a Bordeaux variety when they opted for Cabernet Sauvignon for their new vineyard. Redwood Empire Vineyard Management Company planted 15 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon in 2001, on red clay loam soils on a south-facing slope at an elevation of between 1,795 and 1,920 feet, the highest planting in the Yorkville AVA.