The Estates
Perched on top of soaring coastal ridges that border the Pacific Ocean,
Flowers’ estate vineyards were some of the first planted on the
“extreme” Sonoma Coast (1991). Flowers’ vineyards rise up just two
miles from the rugged Pacific Ocean cliffs at elevations of 1,150 to
1,875 feet. The cool maritime breezes and coastal fog cool the
vineyards during the heat of summer allowing fruit to fully mature
with fresh, complex flavors and lively acidity.
The well-known San Andreas Rift comes ashore nearby at Ft. Ross and
is responsible for much of the geological movement in the region and
has influenced both Sea View Ridge and Camp Meeting Ridge
vineyards. The underlying, or parent, material of the vineyard soils
was once ocean floor. Through cataclysmic events of fault movements
that generated great heat and pressure, the marine sedimentary rock
was transformed into fault gouge material consisting of rocks like
schist, shale, sandstone, greywacke, and greenstone. These ancient
rocks and weathered soils help to control vine vigor on our estate and
create wines of depth with bright fruit, complexity and distinctive
coastal minerality characteristics – wines that reflect a true “sense of
place”.
Camp Meeting Ridge Vineyard
In the early 19th century, Russian fur traders at Ft. Ross came to this
ridge top to trade with the local Kashaya Indians who congregated
here to escape the heat of the inland valleys. Over time this “Camp
Meeting” spot gave the ridge top its name. When Joan and Walt
Flowers established the vineyard here in 1991, they felt it was a fitting
tribute to the history of the site to assign this name to their fledgling
vineyard.
Located just 2 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the ranch consists of 321
acres with 21 acres planted to Chardonnay and only 8 acres of Pinot
Noir. Elevations range from 1,150 to 1,400 feet positioning the
vineyard well above the coastal fog layer thus allowing generous
amounts of sunshine during the growing season. This unique
combination of abundant sunshine and cooling fog rolling in and out
of the vineyard creates an ideal growing environment for Chardonnay
and Pinot Noir.
Soils in the vineyard are diverse with at least six marine and volcanic
soil types present. The topsoil is shallow only 6” to 18” deep over
metamorphic rock that allows for exceptional drainage. Years of
study went into selecting proper root stocks and clonal selections for
the initial planting and we continue to experiment and fine-tune
today. Following the implementation of biodynamic farming
practices, the vines of Camp Meeting Ridge are now dry farmed and
struggle for water and nutrients which limits vine vigor, reduces yield,
and produces small berries with great concentration of flavors and
aromas.
Sea View Ridge Vineyard
First planted in 1998, Sea View Ridge Vineyard is perched upon Smith
Ridge higher and closer to the ocean than Camp Meeting Ridge
Vineyard. Sea View Ridge has unobstructed views of the rugged
coastline, green valleys, and surrounding mountains. Elevations range
from 1,400 to 1,875 feet – well above the ocean fog layers that cool
the vineyard from below. Like Camp Meeting Ridge, Sea View has a
large amount of acreage (327 acres) but only 43 acres under vine and
planted almost entirely to Pinot Noir with the exception of 1.7 acres
of Pinot Meunier in block 19.
Within Sea View Ridge Vineyard, there are two delineations based on
geology. The Ridge blocks (shaped like a horseshoe) are
predominately northwest and southwest exposures consisting of
sandstone, greenstone, and conglomerates with shallow gravelly clay
loam topsoil. The Frances Thompson blocks are steep slopes and
terraces of multiple exposures and consist of very shallow sandy clay
loams on friable shale and schist. The uniqueness and diversity of
these blocks create wines of complexity and distinction.
Camp Meeting Ridge Vineyard, Planted 1991, 1,150 to 1,400 Feet Elevation, 2.2 miles from the Ocean
Sea View Ridge Vineyard, Planted 1998-2003, 1,400 to 1,800 Feet Elevation, 2 miles from the Ocean