History
The property was homesteaded by Finnish immigrants in the late 1800s and came to the Weir brothers in 1996. Vines went in during 2000 with further acreage in 2006. The brothers bottle a little under their own Comptche Ridge label, and Anthill Farms has made the vineyard's reputation with a Pinot Noir designate. The ranch has more recently been offered for sale, so the ownership picture may not hold.
The Site
Around eight acres of vines, some twelve thousand plants, within a ranch given variously as 160 and 265 acres across different listings, at 25901 Comptche-Ukiah Road. The vineyard sits at 857 feet on fine sandy clay Franciscan soils, and the surrounding forest is as much a part of the site as the slope: this is a clearing rather than a hillside, with redwood and fir on every side. Twelve miles from the ocean puts it in cold, fog-worked air, and the wines carry it.
Vines and Blocks
Entirely Pinot Noir, across Swan, Pommard and Dijon 115, 667 and 828, planted tight at six by four and eight by four. The vineyard is dry-farmed and organically farmed with no irrigation at all, which on eight acres of Franciscan clay this far from the coast is a demanding way to work. There are no named blocks. Listings note that another eight to ten acres could be planted.
The Wines
Anthill Farms bottles the designate that carries the vineyard's name, and the Weirs make a small quantity themselves. The appellation on the label is plain Mendocino County: Comptche sits outside every sub-AVA in the county, which is a fair description of how isolated it is. The wines are pale, cold and savoury, at the extreme end even by Mendocino standards.