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Napa: April
2, 2004
Departing
the village of Napa, it is a short drive out
Redwood Road
into the Mt. Veeder appellation where the
terrain is still more than 90% relatively wild - wooded with oak,
madrone, laurel, fir and redwood. It is a small
region, only 15,000 acres in size, but with elevations ranging from 400
feet to the 2677 foot high volcanic peak of
Mt. Veeder. The Mt Veeder appellation is home to some of the most remote
and steepest vineyards in
California,
and to more than a dozen vintners, including the Hess Collection, Mr.
Veeder, Random Ridge, Chateau Potelle and
Rubissow-Sargent. About 1000 acres of Mt Veeder are planted with vines -
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33%
Chardonnay, 8% Merlot, 6% Zinfandel, 3% Cabernet Franc and 10% Other
Varietals.
Our
destination in
Mt.
Veeder
was the estate vineyard of Rubissow-Sargent a collaboration between
two families,
and a working partnership of two locations. The Rubissows own and grow
the grapes on their farm in the
Mt.
Veeder appellation, while Winemaker, and retired
University
of California Senior Scientist, Tony Sargent focuses
on the winemaking near his home in
Berkeley.
It was a
beautiful Spring afternoon the clear skies and mild 70-degree
temperatures set the stage for a perfect
outing into the countryside. Though there is no sign, we eventually
found the simple dirt road that steeply winds up the hill, past a few homes to the estate. As we entered the property and
drove through the merlot vineyards, we
spotted a big yellow house at the top of the hill ahead. This
friendly-looking, 100 year old former hunting lodge is
the home of the Rubissow family.
As we
pulled up to the house, Peter Rubissow, one of the family business
second-generation, greeted us. Peter's current position is the Sales &
Marketing Director, but in the beginning oversaw the planting of the
vineyards. After
meeting canine estate fixtures Blackie and Rusty, Peter escorted us on a
tour of the estate. It was just a gentle but
up-hill walk to where the premium cabernet grapes are grown, but well
worth the effort. On this clear day, as we
stood at a point overlooking the vineyard, we could see the San Pablo
Bay and the skyline of San Francisco in the
distance, and we could understand Peters fondness for growing grapes on
the hillside, instead of in the valley.
Peter gave also gave us the history of the winery, and about their
decision to plant in this location, as well as
details about their viticultural and oenological practices and their
sustainable farming techniques. No pesticides are
used, and they have even brought in compost, made from scrapings and
cuttings from Bay Area restaurants. They
even have several goats on site used to help keep the weeds between
the vine rows at bay, instead of using
herbicides. Partially because of the terrain, only about 18 acres of the
45-acre property are planted with vines, with
about one remaining and soon-to-be planted acre suitable for
cultivation.
We ended
our afternoon relaxing on the front porch of the estate looking east
and gazing at the enchanting view
across the Napa Valley. With the golden sunlight of late afternoon, we
could see clear across to the Silverado Trail
and to the Stags Leap District. We sipped a glass of merlot with Peter,
and talked about the plans and the future
direction of Rubissow-Sargent. Though a small winery, with limited
production, they have a big passion for
winemaking and limitless enthusiasm for the land and their business.
The
Wine Guide Visits the Rubbisow-Sargent
Winery |
Winery Information & Tasting
Notes
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The Wine Guide