WINERY After Jack and Jamie Davies revived the historic Schramsberg property in Napa Valley, their son, Hugh Davies, initiated a red wine program using the family’s estate vineyards on Diamond Mountain. Starting in the 1990s, Hugh undertook the replanting of the home property to red Bordeaux varietals leading to the J. Davies Cabernet program; he later partnered with North Coast growers to launch Davies Vineyards Pinot Noirs.

WINE The Davies family, of Schramsberg Vineyards and Davies Vineyards in the Napa Valley, is proud to release its third Pinot Noir release from the Keefer Ranch, which was purchased in 2019. The family’s experience with Pinot Noir dates back to 1967, when Jack and Jamie Davies first used this elegant red varietal to make their first vintage of Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine. Over the 57 years following that first use, Schramsberg’s winemakers have built long-lasting relationships with some of the best Pinot Noir growers and vineyards in the North Coast. Developing upon this passion, history, and experience, second-generation Vintner Hugh Davies, along with Winemakers Sean Thompson, Jessica Koga and J.P. Pierce present this vineyard-designate Pinot Noir wine from the 2022 vintage.

The Keefer Ranch is located along the Green Valley Creek in the Russian River Valley. The vineyard is planted on gently sloping, south-facing Goldridge Loam soil. Well drained throughout the growing season, this ground is moderately vigorous, ideally suited for the growth of densely concentrated Pinot Noir wine grapes. The vineyard profits from a long, cool hang time resulting in fruit with outstanding color, extraction, and balanced tannins.

The 2022 season was the third year in a row of drought conditions across the north coast. Dryer conditions led to balanced vines with smaller canopies and lighter crop levels. Harvest began around mid-September after record-breaking heat waves around Labor Day Weekend. The harvested fruit developed into wines of delicious concentration and acidity.

The vineyard profits from a long, cool hang time resulting in fruit with outstanding color, extraction, and balanced tannins. The smaller berries and cluster sizes from this vintage led to exceptional fruit quality, resulting in wine with superb concentration. After careful selection and gentle pressing the wine was aged in French Oak for 15 months – 15% new, 54% used once.

The smaller berries and cluster sizes led to exceptional fruit quality, resulting in wine with superb concentration and flavor. Ripe cherry, bright cranberry, sweet spice, lively acidity, soft tannins, and a supple texture.