History
Papera, an Italian immigrant, planted the ranch in 1934 near the meeting of Piner and Olivet roads. Tom Feeny farmed it from the 1990s until his death in 2006, and in 2007 Stuart Coulson, a Stanford professor and Zinfandel devotee, bought the ranch partly to prevent the vines' removal and stewards it still. Carlisle and Williams Selyem carry long-running designations, Bedrock has bottled it, and Ridge released its first Papera Ranch Zinfandel from the 2024 vintage.
The Site
The ranch sits on the eastern side of the Laguna de Santa Rosa near Mancini Ranch and Carlisle Vineyard, on deep Huichica loam typical of the Piner-Olivet district. The cool, marine-influenced corner gives slow, even ripening.
Vines and Blocks
Head-trained, spur-pruned, dry-farmed vines on St. George rootstock, roughly 95 percent Zinfandel overall with Carignane and Petite Sirah, Syrah, Valdiguie, Colombard, Grey Riesling and Negrette interplanted through the field.
The Wines
Papera Ranch Zinfandel is the corridor archetype: lifted red and black bramble over fine, dusty structure, late-picked freshness, and a producer roster, Carlisle, Williams Selyem, Ridge, that reads like an old-vine honor roll.