The Stalwart
Decades of history. Farmers and friends.
On a sloping hillside in southern Sebastopol, a house sits overlooking a beautiful 6.25 acre Pinot Noir Vineyard. Sprawling olive trees line the driveway leading up to Russel Rice and Helene Spivak’s home. Ross began working with Rice-Spivak back in 2003 making it the first vineyard outside of Coastlands that was brought in for Cobb Wines. The 2006 vintage marked the first year that Rice-Spivak was made into a single vineyard designate, cementing its place in the Cobb Wines portfolio for years to come.
TERROIR
Reaching inland. Getting cooler.
First planted by the famed viticulturalist Eric Neil in 2000, Rice-Spivak is home to three Dijon clones in 114, 667 and 777, with 1.25 acres of Swan Clone as well. At relatively low elevation, the cool air off the coast tends to pool in this little valley adding both frost pressure and slowing the maturation throughout the growing season. Rice-Spivak has a layer of volcanic ash hidden within the soil overlaid by the traditional Goldridge Series loam that is ubiquitous in West County. This unique profile adds to the personality of the site with wines showing lots of available fruit but with a backbone of structure and minerality.