History
Russell Rice and Helene Spivak had viticulturist Eric Neil plant the site around 1999. Ross Cobb began sourcing the fruit in 2003, the first vineyard Cobb Wines added beyond the Coastlands estate; Katy Wilson's LaRue has bottled it since the label's 2009 founding, and Reeve joined the roster more recently.
The Site
About six acres of Pinot Noir on a gentle north-facing slope south of Sebastopol, just west of Highway 116 and roughly ten miles from the coast, at low elevation where cold marine air pools and stretches ripening. The Goldridge sandy loam is cut with a seam of volcanic ash, an oddity for the hills that the winemakers credit for the wines' savory edge.
Vines and Blocks
Dijon 115 and 667 with about an acre and a quarter of Swan selection, hand harvested and farmed with practicing-organic methods.
The Wines
Rice-Spivak Pinot Noir shows the southern hills at their most structured: dark fruit over firm, cool-grown acidity, made in tiny lots, LaRue's recent release amounting to fifty cases.