Davis Family > California

Guy Davis' wine roots run deep, reaching back to the age of nineteen when he worked in a French restaurant in Seattle while pursuing an economics degree at the University of Washington. Guy worked as an assistant to the chef. After the last customer left and the doors closed, Guy would retire to the kitchen to make dinner for the owner and chef before joining them for a night of food, wine, and conversation. Each night, they'd open bottles of great wine from France, always combined with great French food and a healthy dose of good conversation. Guy was an eager, open listener. And over glasses of wine, his enthusiasm grew. As he drank from the classic wine regions of France, from Bordeaux to Burgundy, the men schooled him on the origins and characteristics of each particular region.

Judy Davis has shared a passion for wine with husband Guy for nearly 30 years. Her wine journey began in the restaurant world while she put herself through college and developed into a full time venture when Guy and Judy founded the Passport Wine Club in 1992. Judy considers herself a lucky member of the team traveling through France with Guy during the Passport days, touring, tasting, and honing their acuity for finding little known wine gems from the regions of France and Argentina.

In 1997, Judy and Guy stepped across the great divide into farming and winemaking when they founded Davis Family Vineyards. Their two sons have absorbed a far-reaching understanding of wine through hands-on experience and followed them into the wine business. Cole is the cellar master and assistant winemaker at Davis Family Vineyards, and Cooper is attending Sonoma State University working toward his Wine Marketing degree. 3rd generation up-and-comer Luke, Cole's young son, has his eagle eye trained on the vineyard activities and regularly jumps in with full enthusiasm for the venture! Judy assists with hospitality at the winery and represents Davis Family Vineyards at marketing and sales events across the U.S. She is Guy's "test palate" on frequent occasion, with home blind-tastings a regular occurrence as the wines are readied for bottling, and samples grapes at harvest as well. Judy also partners with Guy on olive oil production and the annual blending of their signature olive oil. In her other life, Judy is an RN, and has worked for 25 years in Labor and Delivery, and the last 4 years as the Charge Nurse in the Ob/Gyn Department at Kaiser Permanente.

Farmimg/vinification practices: organic. Only indigenous yeasts used. The wines are not fined.

Davis Family Website

Cuvée Luke - Russian River Valley - Saralee's Vineyard

The Cuvée Luke is a blend of 48% Roussanne, 35% Marsanne and 17% Viognier, named for the Davis’ eldest grandchild. This wine was inspired by traditions from the Rhône Valley, while embracing the terroir of the Russian River Valley. The three varieties come together seamlessly, expressing stone fruit and floral aromatics, balanced with a distinctive minerality.
The fruit for this wine comes from Saralee’s Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. The Viognier in this blend was planted in 1995, the same year that the Davis' planted their estate vineyard, just a few miles away. The soil in this vineyard is Cortina series, a gravelly loam which reflects the minerality in all three of the varietals. Once in the winery, both the Marsanne and the Viognier were whole cluster pressed. The Roussanne was picked at night, destemmed, then held as whole berries for several days in a small closed top tank at 40 degrees F before pressing off the skins. While working in the Rhône Valley, Guy found the extended skin contact with the Roussanne adds a great textural component, and a very special element of complexity, ringing true with this vineyard/wine as well. All varieties were aged individually in 200 liter stainless steel barrels. All the ferments took off spontaneously with the native yeasts, then once the populations of yeast seemed healthy and steady, the temperature of the cellar was taken down to 50 degrees F to slowly go dry, working to preserve the precious aromatics. This wine did not go through ML. All the acidity is natural, as is the alcohol level. Blended 30 days prior to bottling. 13.4% alcohol.

Chardonnay - Russian River Valley

The Chardonnay is farmed from estate vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Earth friendly farming practices (organic & biodynamic) and grapes hand-picked at optimum ripeness. The Chardonnay block on Soul Patch Vineyard sits at the very bottom of the eastern facing hillside. This is an extremely cool pocket of the vineyard, which allows the fruit longer hang time, resulting in bright, beautifully balanced acidity. The grapes are brought into the winery where they are hand sorted and whole cluster pressed (different from most other wineries that crush first), garnering more brilliance of flavor from the grapes. 70% of the grapes are placed into French Oak barrels to undergo full malolactic fermentation, helping to develop smooth round texture and add richness to the wine. The other 30% is placed into stainless steel tanks, thus preserving the fruit and acidity which highlights the purity of the vineyard. The wine is then aged in barrels (1/3 new, 1/3 one year old, 1/3 two years old) for one full year. Just before bottling the oak barrels & stainless steel tanks are blended.
The 2014 Estate Chardonnay is a beautiful, crisp, clean, yet savory expression of the Russian River. A flavor-rich chardonnay with aromas of exotic tropical fruit, lemon custard, and spice. 13.5% alcohol.

Pinot Noir - Russian River Valley

From Soul Patch, Starr Ridge and Dutton Ranch Pinot vineyards. The fermentation was conducted using native yeast in small, temperature controlled, open top fermentors. Gentle punch downs were done over a 3-4 week fermentation, after a 5-7 day cold soak. The Pinot was then pressed and transferred directly into barrel, using gravity flow. Aged in French oak for 10 months. 1/3 of the barrels are new, 1/3 are one year old, and 1/3 are 2 year old.
The 2013 Russian River Pinot uses the very best expressions of each of the vineyards. Rich, balanced, and elegant, with beautiful red and dark fruit flavor, this blend is a perfect embodiment of all that the Russian River Valley has to offer in one deeply layered, complex wine. Each vintage this wine displays the signature flavors of the Russian River appellation as well as the signature of that year's growing season. 14.1% alcohol.

Pinot Noir - Russian River Valley - Soul Patch Vineyard

The Soul Patch Vineyard was planted by Guy Davis in 1996. The Pinot Noir section is a combination of Pommard clone, and Dijon clones 777, 667 and 115. Like all three of their Vineyard Designate sites it is an East facing slope, so it basks in the gentle morning sun as it burns off the thick Pacific Ocean fog; and dodges the harsh afternoon sun, leaving the clusters with their bright natural acidity and layers of beautiful aromas and flavors. The Soul Patch Pinot Noir is a Barrel Selection of the family's favorite barrels each vintage, a blend that creates the perfect balance between richness and elegance.
The fermentation was conducted using native yeast in small, temperature controlled, open top fermentors. Gentle punch downs were done over a 3-4 week fermentation, after a 5-7 day cold soak. The Pinot was then pressed and transferred directly into barrel, using gravity flow. It was aged in French oak for 10 months. 1/3 of the barrels are new, 1/3 are one year old, and 1/3 are 2 year old. 14.1% alcohol.

Pinot Noir - Sonoma Coast

The 2013 Sonoma Coast comes from both Horseshoe Bend vineyard, high up on Occidental Ridge, and Campbell Ranch vineyard, located just outside of the town of Annapolis. This is the first time Guy Davis ever did a blend with these two unique Pinots and the result is magical - combining a streak of earthiness from the Horseshoe with the elegance and depth of the Campbell Ranch. The result boasts a beautiful texture, lush fruit and a lingering, dreamy finish.
The fermentation was conducted using native yeast in small, temperature controlled, open top fermentors. Gentle punch downs were done over a 3-4 week fermentation, after a 5-7 day cold soak. The Pinot was then pressed and transferred directly into barrel, using gravity flow. Aged in French oak for 10 months. 1/3 of the barrels are new, 1/3 are one year old, and 1/3 are 2 year old. 13.8% alcohol.

Pinot Noir - Sonoma Coast - Campbell Ranch

Campbell Ranch Vineyard is located just west of the town of Annapolis in the Northern corner of the Sonoma Coast appellation. The vineyard is perched at 1,000 ft elevation, above the fog, clouds and the Pacific coastline. The proximity to the ocean keeps the vineyard site extremely cool, yet the elevation ensures continuous sunshine on the vines. The soil is calcareous coastal sandstone and closely spaced vines are planted to multiple Dijon clones. All of these factors combined help deliver a beautiful Pinot Noir – bright acidity, balanced yet rich vibrant fruit and refined mouth coating tannins.
The fermentation was conducted using native yeast in small, temperature controlled, open top fermentors. Gentle punch downs were done over a 3-4 week fermentation, after a 5-7 day cold soak. The Pinot was then pressed and transferred directly into barrel, using gravity flow. Aged in French oak for 10 months. 1/3 of the barrels are new, 1/3 are one year old, and 1/3 are 2 year old. 14.1% alcohol.

Zinfandel - Old vines

The estate vineyard was originally planted in 1896. It took just three years (and a lot of hard work) to get the ancient vines to produce fruit again- 70 cases in 1998! That being said, these vines may have returned to form, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t still perform on their own schedule. The harvest takes place in several passes through the 2.8 acres during the harvest season. This meticulous process is used to ensure that every single berry and cluster are at the perfect point of ripeness. The old vine crest on the label pays tribute to the old vines that started it all.
Old Vine wines have a unique and special character. They produce only 3 or 4 clusters per vine, resulting in concentrated, rich flavors and possess a deep complexity. Amazing layers of flavor and spice surface in the wine as a direct result of the relationship of the soil, 30 feet deep root system and 100+ year old vines. These factors, combined with the cool, eastern facing hillside vineyard location in the heart of the Russian River Valley, cannot be replicated any other way. This Old Vine Zinfandel is a true expression of a specific place- that can only be manifested in this distinct environment.