History
The property's wine history begins in 1892 under Joseph Morelli and Sons, later the Lemorel winery. Eric Sussman's connection began in the early 2000s through then-owner Robert Von Weidlich, whose old Zinfandel made Radio-Coteau's first wine from the site in 2002; in the summer of 2012 Sussman bought the 42 acre ranch outright, and the farm has been Demeter certified biodynamic since 2018.
The Site
The ranch rides a ridge at 800 feet above the town of Occidental on Goldridge soil, its vine blocks woven among vegetable gardens, pollinator habitat, rotationally grazed livestock and a wildlife corridor.
Vines and Blocks
The Lemorel Zinfandel carries heirloom selections planted in 1946 and 1981 across 7.1 acres; ten acres of Pinot Noir went in across 2014 and 2016 in Calera, Mt. Eden, Martini, Dijon 115 and Burgundian heirloom material, with three acres of Wente-selection Chardonnay from 2014, the 1.7 acre Harrison Grade Syrah of 1999, a mystery selection, and Geisenheim-clone Riesling from 2016.
The Wines
The estate range wears the Sonoma Coast Estate tag: SeaBed Chardonnay, the Riesling, Belay Pinot Noir, Harrison Grade Syrah, Lemorel Zinfandel and the Board and Batten red, wines of cool-ridge tension from a farm run as one living system.