Vineyards
At Keller Estate, we place a high value on creating elegant wines exemplifying
the elements of our terroir. We are committed to our land and to taking
part in sustainable practices. We recently completed the California Sustainable
Winegrowing Alliance's Sustainable
Winegrowing Program.
Before planting the vineyards, we studied our 650-acre Petaluma ranch to assess its composition. We looked at the soils, slopes and microclimates and determined that there were two main areas to develop. The majority of the La Cruz Vineyard, where we grow all of our Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Gris, and slightly over half of our Pinot Noir, resides on the lower hills of the property. The soils here are multi-layered, mineral-ladened clays that were once San Pablo Bay sea beds. This mineral character comes through in all of the wines and is very much a part of Keller Estate’s unique terroir.
Our 20-acre El Coro block was planted with seven different clones of Pinot
Noir. The vineyard sits high on the ridge-top where the vines are more
exposed to the winds that bring the Pacific maritime air and fog through
the Petaluma Gap. The terroir is defined by a thin loamy-clay with a volcanic
subsoil. The Pinot Noirs from the El Coro block are very expressive, with
beautiful aromatics and great structure that shine through.
Our expansive property allows us to select the ideal growing area for
each clone, a sub-variety of grape type. Each clone has unique characteristics;
some have more color and tannins, while others have more fruit flavor
or aromatics. One analogy likens them to colors on the artist's palette;
the more hues and shades, the greater the depth and complexity.
We are continuously evaluating the different clones and the wines that make; not only how each clone performs in a specific site, but how the wines work together as a blend.