Rob Sinskey believes that the goals of making luxuriously elegant wines and farming with earth friendly methods are not mutually exclusive. Rather, he has found that caring for the land and conscientious business practices have helped define the well-crafted wines of RSV. Rob and winemaker, Jeff Virnig have adopted methods that not only produce wines of individuality, but leave a minimal footprint on the land.
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Robert Sinskey's Philosophy:
The story of how wine is made is as important as the wine itself. The craft of winegrowing begins with the care of the soil and ends as an open bottle of wine on the table.
RSV is a second generation, family-owned and operated vineyard and winery. Every vine for every wine was planted by RSV and every vineyard is certified* organic. One could say that RSV is beyond organic. Since 1991, RSV has been practicing the “whole farm” philosophy of interrelationships based on Rudolph Steiner’s 1928 lecture “Agriculture.” This approach stresses the need to heal damage done by modern, mechanized farming - tapping into the rhythms of nature, encouraging natural processes, to grow superior wine grapes that require little but care to craft into expressive, vibrant and living wines.
RSV approaches the cellar as purists (with the same winemaker, Jeff Virnig, for over twenty-five years) to craft wines that are true and pure. The guiding principle that “wine is not an athletic event” has allowed the wines of RSV to stay true to vineyard and variety. Elegance over brawn has always been the house style and RSV does not submit wine for review by score-centric critics; because to taste wine in a competitive atmosphere, without food on the table, encourages wines that shout, ignoring subtle wines of balance, finesse and elegance... the attributes that define the fine wines of RSV.
Purchase Robert Sinskey's Wines
Region: Napa
Robert Sinskey Vineyards
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Pinot Noir
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Cabernet Franc
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Cabernet Sauvignon
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Zinfandel
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Merlot
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Riesling
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Pinot Blanc
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Pinto Gris
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Muscat
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Rose
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Cabernet Sauvignon
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Bordeaux style blend
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Sauvignon Blanc
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Sauvignon Gris
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Rose of Cabernet Franc
Region: Napa
The Chimney Rock estate began to take shape in 1980, when Hack and Stella Wilson purchased a 180-acre parcel – which included a golf course – situated on the east side of the Silverado Trail. They built their country house based on Cape Dutch-style architecture and started planting vineyards shortly afterwards.
The first 59 acres were planted with a combination of red and white grapes, and the premier vintage of Chimney Rock estate wines was produced in 1989. In the early 1990s, the Cape Dutch-style winery building (with the massive allegorical frieze of Ganymede, cupbearer to the gods) and the tasting room were added to the estate. In 2000, the Terlato family joined the Wilson family as partners in the winery with added resources and the goal of enhancing Chimney Rock’s reputation for producing some of the world’s great estate Cabernet Sauvignons
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Chimney Rock's Philosophy:
One of the many blessings we celebrate at Chimney Rock is the remarkable diversity of soil types in our vineyards. Our winemaking team individually develops, cultivates, and harvests each unique area to maximize its potential.
In our pursuit to produce unique wines, we selected a few of the most distinctive vineyards to showcase the depth, range, and elegance of Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon. The Tomahawk, Alpine, Clone 7 and Ganymede vineyards are all within a quarter mile of each other; however, they each display remarkable and consistent individuality. Often wildly different from one another, these wines truly reflect the singular nature of the Chimney Rock estate, and it is no surprise that these wines are among the most coveted by our wine club members.
The team has put resources toward individually developing, cultivating, and harvesting each unique vineyard block to maximize its potential. This intensely focused hands-on approach has led to the creation of 28 distinct vineyard blocks on our property.
All the grapes for Chimney Rock’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux style red blends are grown on the winery’s 131-acre estate at the southern end of the Stags Leap District. The winemakers capture the estate’s unique terroir through an innovative and meticulous approach to vineyard management.
The result of all this careful attention to the vines at Chimney Rock is a true expression of Stags Leap District “terroir” –— wines that resonate with intense flavors of cassis and blackberry, are refined, rich in color, balanced with finely structured tannins that — making our wines drinkable upon release, and for many years as they age gracefully.
Purchase Chimney Rock's Wines
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Cabernet Sauvignon
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Zinfandel
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Syrah
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Pinot Noir
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Malbec
Region: Sonoma
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Chardonnay
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Sauvignon Gris
Since its founding in 1972, Chalk Hill has been Sonoma County’s benchmark producer. For over four decades the winery has produced exceptional wines that have received high acclaim from the trade, press and consumers. Nowhere else will you find such transitional terroir as this: nestled atop the cooler Russian River Valley, just over the ridge from the warmer Alexander Valley. Among the estate’s rugged hillsides, a scant few hundred acres make up a patchwork of carefully nurtured vineyards which rest atop the rocky soil where the Russian River once meandered.
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Chalk Hill's Philosophy:
The quest for quality is the basis for all winemaking decisions on the Chalk Hill Estate. The vineyardists coax Mother Nature to create perfect fruit that, once harvested, is delivered to the winery with only the most delicate touches. In the Winery, the Winemaker, Courtney Foley, and her dedicated staff gently shepherd the grapes through the fermentation process to the bottle. With an estate-wide, shared aesthetic, the process is light-handed, non-invasive, and sustainable, allowing each bottle to emulate the essence of the vineyard.
The terrain at Chalk Hill is intricate and varied. Located at the convergence of a number of naturally defined winegrowing regions, the estate features a range of microclimates, soils and exposures that require well-reasoned, site-specific farming protocols. It’s this unusual complexity of terroir that allows us to create wines that are intense, balanced and distinctive.
Chalk Hill's location, between the cool Russian River appellation, and the warm Alexander Valley, places it in the perfect location to take advantage of the benefits afforded both. The diversity of the Chalk Hill topography creates a broad spectrum of different sites across which can be planted both red and white varieties. The lower, cooler sites are perfect for Chardonnay while the steeper, warmer, south-facing slopes are superbly suited to ripen Bordeaux varietals.
Purchase Chalk Hills's Wines
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Cabernet Sauvignon
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Cabernet Franc
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Zinfandel
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PInot Noir
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Merlot
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Malbec
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Chardonnay
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Sauvignon Blanc
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Rose
Region: Sonoma
Deerfield Ranch Winery, in Kenwood, the heart of Sonoma Valley, is an award winning, organic winery producing 15,000 cases annually. Robert Rex and Associate Winemaker, Cecilia Valdivia, and team, make small lots of handcrafted wine from more than 26 family owned vineyards in Sonoma County. Specializing in blended wines, Deerfield is at the forefront of this modern yet traditionally based style and on the cutting edge of California winemaking techniques. Deerfield wines are renowned for their brilliant colors, rich and wonderfully complex flavors, and a long finish. They tend to be fruit forward, with gentle tannins and low acid. The wines are crafted to appeal to the new, younger wine drinker while exhibiting complexity and depth that a studied wine geek or connoisseur will recognize and enjoy.
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Deerfield Ranch Winery's Philosophy:
Robert and PJ, his wife and business partner, have been making wine in the Sonoma Valley, for over 37 years. Their beautiful hilltop retreat, Deerfield Ranch, is the original home of the Deerfield Ranch Winery, now expanded to a larger facility on Sonoma Highway in Kenwood.
Robert’s brother, Martin Rex spearheaded the approval process for the 45,000-case gravity flow winery, probably the last grand winery to be built in the Sonoma Valley that sits atop the 23,000 square foot wine cave with a Grand Room for tasting in the center. A traditionally designed “barn” style building, designed by architect and brother, Michael Rex, serves as the winery. Deerfield is a green winery, and 98% of the process wastewater is recycled on site. The winery was recognized for their water conservation efforts by the Sonoma County Water Board. Extensive wetlands, forest and wildlife habitat on the forty-seven-acre property are being restored and husbanded. The estate vineyards are organically farmed using biodynamic practices.
