Vineyards

Why Rancho Coyote Vineyards? “Serenading the Vineyards!”

Rancho Coyote is a 70-acre ranch in the prime Pinot Noir growing region of the Russian River Valley in Sonoma. Our Boutique 7-Acre vineyard consists of five separate blocks, each with completely different terroir (soil, micro climates, temperature, exposures and elevations). Different Pinot Noir clones are selected and planted on the each to enhance the individual block’s terroir.

The vineyards are surrounded by forests with diverse plants, birds and insects, which further add to the complexity and character of the wines produced from our Vineyard. Farming is done naturally by hand with no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Vines planted four feet apart and rows are only five feet wide to produce low yields with small grapes and tight clusters that will make complex, yet simple wines. Quality over Quantity is our mantra!

Cool morning sea breezes and fog navigating up the Russian River, warm sun in the afternoons, followed by cool nights, even in the summer, round out the ideal Pinot Noir growing conditions.

Our Vineyards are serenaded daily with classical Music, jazz and love to further enhance Vineyard balance.

Meet our Winemaker: Sébastien Pochan

Sébastien Pochan is originally from the Languedoc region of Southern France. With over 3 decades of winemaking experience, he moved to Healdsburg in 1995 and has held winemaking positions at a few wineries both in Napa and Sonoma counties. He was the winemaker at Unti Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley for 14 years and since 2015 has been in charge of the wine programs for a growing roster of wine-growing clients. During the slower winter and spring months, Sébastien hones his Accordion skills and creates wood furniture and sculpture.

“The two aspects I value most in a wine are purity and balance. To me, achieving that magic duo means preserving acidity and brightness by picking on the early side of the ripeness spectrum, letting the fermentation happen spontaneously, and avoiding the temptation of manipulation or oak flavoring.

Blending has always been my favorite tool to impart my sensibility to a wine and even though Rancho Coyote vineyards farms a modest 7 acres of Pinot noir, the diversity of terrain, exposure, and clones provides a beautiful array of distinct elements to ferment separately and play with .”

Why Natural Winemaking?

Our simple winemaking philosophy, “Let the Vineyards Sing”, lends itself to incredible terroir, and natural yeasts. Careful clone selection is enhanced by natural farming practices with minimal intervention in the Winery creating a beautifully balanced wine that is truly unique, enjoyable to drink, and reflective of the characteristics of the vineyards in which it was grown.

Cheers!