Somerston Wine Company

The Somerston Estate (of which the historic Priest Ranch is now a part) is 1628 acres of natural beauty, with over 200 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards, winery, and a developing ranch and farm. Somerston is 8 miles east of Rutherford east of the Chiles Valley appellation in Napa Valley. Its diverse soils, microclimates, and exposures are perfect for growing world-class grapes. The vineyard has over 200 acres planted on elevations of 850 to 2400 feet above sea level. Its cool nights, low morning temperatures, late morning fog and warm afternoon temperatures give our vineyards a slow and even ripening. The vineyard is divided into 87 individual blocks that represent the various soils (alluvial fans, silty clay and fractured shale, and Akin). Craig Becker is a founding member of Somerston. He is a seasoned winemaker and has worked with a wide range of varieties planted at some of California’s top hillside vineyards. It is Craig’s artisan approach to winemaking and his extensive knowledge in viticulture that enables him to create superb wines from a wide range of varieties and sites. As General Manager of Somerston, Craig oversees all aspects of the business from viticulture, winemaking, sales and marketing, finance and business development. (Ref: Somerston Wine Company)

Full bodied, dry and aromatic – this is a rare opportunity to enjoy a white Rhone grape that is often blended, but in the hands of Craig Becker at Priest Ranch, this ripe and full white offers orange blossom, spiced pear, notes of butter and citrus and a lovely floral character. The nose seems stylish and grows in the glass. The palate is very full, with a razor sharp citrus and great minerality, reminding us of top end white Burgundy, albeit with the character of wet stones that is reminiscent of a great white Chateauneuf. Will keep 5 years +

Try with chicken satay, Chinese 5-spice sea bass, tempura shrimp, Moroccan tagine

Fermented in stainless steel drums and tanks. Native yeasts fermented the wine at a controlled 60 degrees F. The lees was stirred twice a month for 5 months before the wine was bottled