Because of the success of Syrah on cobblestone soils, we added the 2nd phase of the planting to meet the heavy demand for the unique qualities of the fruit off of these soils.
San Tomasso Vineyard is in The Rocks District of Milton Freewater AVA, which is a viticultural area defined by a single soil series; (Freewater Series) an alluvial fan consisting of cobbles and gravels. This sustainably farmed vineyard is both LIVE and Salmon Safe certified.
The vineyard was planted in 1998 with five acres of Cabernet Sauvignon. Shortly thereafter, additional blocks were planted with 8 acres of Syrah, Malbec and Tempranillo on their own roots. Spacing of these plantings ranges from 960-1050 plants per acre.
Older vines are trained to vertical shoot positioning. New plantings have been/will be on various rootstocks and will employ various training forms. Spacing of the more recent plantings are at various densities.
Heat units (GDD’s) for this site range from 3000 to 3200 units annually, with 7-10″ of precipitation.
Traditionally, San Tomasso Vineyard is the first to show bud break, bloom and veraison in the Valley, but also the last to be harvested, with lower (moderate) Brix readings.
Fruit is hand-harvested at a target yield of 3 tons per acre.
