George and Abigail Ladd came to California in the 1850's. They discovered gold, helped to establish California's public school system, planted vineyards, and helped their son, George Jr, buy and establish a farm/vineyard. George and Abigail were pioneers and my Great Great Great Grandparents. Their vision and spirit of adventure is my inspiration.

My Father grew up on the farm that George Jr established. Later my Dad became a biochemist, in Berkeley, working to help people with blood disorders. After decades of being split up due to inheritances, he reunited the farm buying parcel after parcel. He worked and managed the farm, with my help, while still being a biochemist, for the rest of his life. It was a life he loved. I learned that, and what's important about great farming, esp about the importance of the soil and the important little things that makes a piece of land tick. My dad is my other inspiration.

Aromatic • Pure • Seductive

Wine that has depth and layers that evolves in interesting ways, in your glass and in the bottle. Capturing the essence of the vineyard and fruit, without any distracting elements. Delivering the freshness and purity that California's great weather provides, without losing finesse or delicacy. This is what I am seeking.

Wines like this require cool vineyards, interesting soils and sensitive winemaking. I work with cool coastal vineyards that have well drained rocky soils to enhance the character and expressiveness of the wine.

I use low-intervention artisanal winemaking, from flowering to bottling. The fruit is sorted in the vineyard to minimize handling. Native/spontaneous fermentations, rather than cultured/purchased yeast & ML bacteria, are used to preserve the character and build complexity. Moderate fermentation temperatures balance flavor extraction with preserving complex aromatics. Total sulfur is between 35 & 50 ppm, in the bottle. Most of all, the smell and taste of the fruit and wine, and my instincts, guide my decisions rather than following a recipe or procedure.