The Phoenix Ranch Vineyard
1996: A Fortuitous Detour In the Fall of 1996, Richard Phoenix decided to take a slightly different route home and wandered along the base of Atlas Peak in southwestern Napa Valley. It was on this fortuitous detour that Richard discovered what is now the Phoenix Ranch—8 acres of prime southern Napa Valley land perfectly suited for exceptional vineyards. Little did he know that this innocent drive would lead he and his family to a new life as grape growers and winemakers! Richard's parents, Brian and Janet Phoenix, purchased the property in 1997 and after much discussion and insight from local wine industry leaders, decided to plant the ranch to Syrah. A few months later, the first rootstock was in the ground and their new vineyard was underway. Great Nature, Great Wines Situated closer to Carneros than to Calistoga, Phoenix Ranch enjoys a significant San Francisco Bay climate. The ranch is often blanketed with bay area fog until mid morning, when like clockwork, it burns off and gives way to the heat of the afternoon sun, allowing just enough time to gently heat and ripen the fruit. In the evening, the fog rolls back in and the vineyard cools down again. This regular cooling and heating cycle helps retain the natural acidity in the fruit and allows for a longer, more even ripening of the fruit. The Soil The soil profile at Phoenix Ranch splits the vineyard into two separate parcels. Blocks 1, 2 and 3 are all the same Coombs gravelly loam while Block 4 is Haire loam. Loam is soil composed of silt, sand and clay in relatively even concentration. The Coombs soils have more gravel which creates good drainage. The Haire soils have more clay, which results in only moderate drainage. By knowing the different soil types, Brian can farm the vineyard more meticulously. During the growing season, you can easily see the difference in the vines growing on the Haire soil verses the Coombs soil. Because the Haire soil holds more water (more clay in the soil), the vines are more vigorous and drought tolerant requiring less irrigation.
The first Phoenix Ranch vines were planted in the Fall of 1998. Blocks 2 and 4 were planted with the Syrah Noir Clone. The following year Blocks 1 and 3 were planted with two different Syrah clones—Durrell and Estrella River. The Durrell clone is known for its small, dark skinned berries, producing wines with intense concentration. Syrah Noir clone is known for its velvety tannins, rich black fruit and spicy character. The Estrella River clone is more aromatic with strong notes of strawberry and blueberry. Even though the vineyard was relatively small, 5.5 acres, they wanted to add complexity through clonal selection. Each clone produces a unique wine on its own, but blended together they produce a wine of depth and complexity. The first harvest of Phoenix Ranch was purchased by Ehren Jordan of Turley Wine Cellars, for his family label, Failla. The 2001 Syrah was a knock out and Ehren has been buying our Syrah ever since. Ehren also gets the credit for penning the name "Phoenix Ranch" as he believed the farm house, vineyard and Brian’s corral of collectible Ford Mustangs made it more of a “ranch”. 2003-2006: Viognier Comes of Age
Brian and Janet Phoenix put their heart and soul into the Phoenix Ranch Vineyard. Brian does most of the hands on work himself, paying detailed attention to the vines. He farms organically and is working towards achieving full State of California Organic Certification. Each year the fruit quality increases as the vines become more harmonious with their surroundings, a balance that is clearly evident in the finished product.
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PHOENIX RANCH WINES • 1531 ATLAS PEAK ROAD • NAPA, CALIFORNIA • 707-254-1077 All content ©2009 Phoenix Ranch Wines
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1998-2001: Fruitful Beginnings
In 2003 nearly an acre of Viognier was planted in the Northwest corner of the ranch. By 2006 our Viognier was in full production and ready for co-fermentation with the Syrah. The Viognier turned out to be spectacular on its own, so the Phoenix Ranch Viognier label was created in 2006.
