Random Oaks

 Vineyard ~ Julian

 

The Julian vineyard is located at almost 4,000 feet in the mountainous area of San Diego. Summer temperatures range from the mid-'70s to highs in the low 100s with hot days and warm evenings. August, the peak of the growing season, often produces high humidity and occasional thunderstorms, cooling temperatures and slowing the ripening process. Because of its high altitude, the growing season for our vines is relatively short with bud break in May and an early September harvest. It is not uncommon to experience frost at the end of May which for some seasons resulted in the loss of the entire harvest. Due to this shortened growing season, we only grow Sauvignon Blanc grapes in Julian which buds late but ripens early. Despite the challenges brought by the weather, we have found Julian to be an exceptional area for Sauvignon Blanc. The vineyard soil is rich and loamy from years of organic forest matter naturally composting imparting a terrior with characteristics of citrus, white peach, and slighter higher acidity. The grapes produce an exceptional refreshingly crisp white wine perfect for a warm summer day. We currently bottle about 30 cases of Sauvignon Blanc.

4S Ranch,

 Santa Fe Valley

 

The Santa Fe Valley Vineyards are on about 3.5 acres of land located approximately 10 miles from the San Diego coastline. The lower vineyard consists of six terraces cut into a rocky volcanic hillside at about 600 feet above sea level. The upper vineyard rests on a plateau on the same hillside about 300 feet above the lower vineyard. Both sites are made up of meta-volcanic rock that is fragmented and blocky allowing water to filter down through deep fissures encouraging vines to develop deeply rooted structures. In addition, the granite-based soils radiate heat to the vines, aiding ripening. The vineyards are south-facing capturing maximum exposure to the sun and enjoy daily coastal breezes during the growing season. We have found that the combination of poor soil conditions and warm gentle breezes produce red wines that are rich in color and full-bodied. On our lower vineyards, we produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, and Merlot grapes. Our upper vineyard is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay grapes. We produce about 250 cases a year of our red wines.

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In 2014 we acquired 5 acres of land located between our existing lower and upper vineyards in the Santa Fe Valley. The acquisition allowed us to double our vineyard size to over 8 acres and 4000 vines. Pleased with the results from our Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot varietals, we decided to expand into this new property with the intent to make American Meritage, red Bordeaux and Super Tuscan blends. In 2015 we planted additional Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines, plus the red grape varieties of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Syrah. We also added the white grape varietal of Viognier. 2018 was our first harvest of these new grapes. The 2018 Viognier has been bottled and displays pleasing notes of pear and apple tart tannin. The reds have been separately barreled in French oak for two years and are expected to be released in late 2020.

We have been excited with the results of our barrel tastings and plan to produce both blends and individual bottles of these new red varietals.