29 Great Winemakers

The first harvest was in 1996. By 1998 word was out and the great winemakers started coming for Alder Springs Vineyard grapes. They include:

James Hall (Patz & Hall)
Pax Mahle (Pax Wine Cellars, Agharta, Wind Gap)
Duncan Meyer (Arnot Roberts)
Wells Guthrie (Copain Wines)
Erin Green (Pahlmeyer)
Erich Bradley (Sojourn Cellars, Audelssa Winery)
Luc Morlet (Bure Family Wines, Carte Blance)
Ryan Hodgins (Breggo Cellars)
Les Behrens (Behrens & Hitchcock, Erna Schein)
Chad Melville (Samsara)
Tasha McCorkel (Whitehorn Winery)
Don Wattenberger, Lina Carro (Violet Green )
Douglas Danielak (Knights Bridge)
Jeff Ames (Rudius)
Andy Carini (Carini Wines)
Kale Anderson (Kale Wines)
Scott Shapely (Roessler Cellars)
Jeff Brinkman (Rhys)
Tim Olson (Olson Ogden)
Jason Kesner (Kesner Wines)
Michael Zitzlaff (Crush Pad)
David LeComte (City Winery)
Alex McGregor (Skylark, Saracina)
Sig Yeilding (Yeilding Wines)
Bryan Kane (Vie Winery)
Aran Healy (Carlotta Cellars)
Chris Nelson (Petito Wines)
Marbue Marke (Caldwell Vineyard)
Eric Luse (Eric Ross Winery)

Andy Carini (Carini Wine) says of Alder Springs Ranch, “It is absolutely the most meticulously planned and maintained vineyard that I know of anywhere, the benchmark to which I measure all others… Owner, Stuart Bewley has spared no expense and overlooked no detail in his quest to grow the finest grapes in the world.”

“Stu has cultivated vineyard sections specifically for Patz & Hall,” says James Hall. “The Chardonnay from Alder Springs is consistently notable for its texture, concentration and ethereal aromatics, while the Pinot Noir offers a rustic and highly structured mountain-fruit incarnation of the varietal. We have been producing single vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir bottlings from this great vineyard since 1997.”

Roessler Cellars (Scott Shapely) has an outstanding Alder Springs Mendocino Pinot Noir they describe this way, “Stuart Bewley’s attention to detail, the phenomenal soil, and high-density planting all contribute to the spicy aromatics and rich fruit flavors characteristic of this Pinot Noir.”

David LeComte (City Winery) claims a great Alder Springs Merlot and tell us, “Stuart has pushed the limits of elevation and farming in the region, with most of his vineyards planted in truly tricky situations. This vineyard rambles up the mountain coastward, amongst outcroppings of rock and virgin redwood with varied soils. The blocks are tailored to the specific soil variations and aspects. Alder Springs is a very special vineyard.”

And even though Samsara means suffering, Chad Melville sounds truly happy when talking about Alder Springs. “Alder Springs has long been one of California’s most critically acclaimed Syrah sites and – more importantly – one that wine fans just love!… Stuart Bewley and I met a few years back and hit it off, so I guess I got lucky.… Our version of Alder Syrah reveals beautiful notes of boysenberries, black raspberries, and sweet cherries as well as tremendous opulence, medium to full body, a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, and alcohol, and a long finish. I don’t believe in comparing our wines to French wines – our terroir is just different – but this is more Hermitage than Cote Rotie, though I adore both sites.”

Don Wattenbarger, of Violet-Green Winery calls Alder Springs Vineyard breathtaking. “The amazing fruit concentration Alder Springs grapes consistently achieve is due in part to the small amount of fruit each vine carries (2.5-4.0 pounds per vine). This fruit concentration contributes with our intensive vinification methods to produce the luxurious mouthfeel and intensity of flavor that has become Violet-Green Winery’s signature.”

Douglas Danielak of Knights Bridge Winery describes Alder Springs Vineyards as so many other winemakers do: “This immaculately groomed vineyard employs state of the art rootstock/clone selections, innovative trellising, and superior soil management, which combine to produce wines of grace and complexity.”