History
The site went in above the village of Freestone in 2000, with Greg Adams, also Ceritas' viticulturist, farming it organically from the start. Its fruit appears under two names for the same ground: Zephyr Farms on Red Car and La Follette labels, Zephyr Vineyard on Ceritas'.
The Site
Seven and a half acres at about 525 feet, between the Bodega Headlands and the Sebastopol Hills some eight miles from the Pacific. Deep coastal fog holds until late morning and westerly wind fills the afternoons; the Goldridge sandy loam thins to bare sandstone in the Ceritas blocks, and picking runs about two weeks behind other Chardonnay sites nearby.
Vines and Blocks
Chardonnay leads, including Mt. Eden and Clone 5 material on 101-14 rootstock with a 1.3 acre block bottled by La Follette, alongside Pinot Noir in Dijon selections.
The Wines
Zephyr fruit shows wind-grown structure: tiny berries, firm skins, piercing acidity and a stony, mineral line that has made the Chardonnay a quiet collector's item among coastal growers.