This very exotic and delicious white wine is Rhone style blend of Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier. The vineyard, planted in 1996, is located 2500 feet up in the Sierra Foothills. It is outside the town of Grass Valley in the Northern portion of the Sierra Foothills toward Lake Tahoe. This area is much cooler than the southern areas of the Sierras and in turn, allows for much fresher acidity and better balance of flavors.

Named after our grandson Luke, who was born in the 2008 vintage, this wine is almost as special and precious as he is ... almost!

89 Points, Robert Parker
"The Cuvee Luke is an attractive Roussanne/ Marsanne/ Viognier blend. A fresh, expressive bouquet leads to white peaches, flowers and mint in this attractive, mid-weight wine. Pretty and delicate from start to finish, the Cuvee Luke impresses for its classy, understated personality."

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar - 89 Points
"(45% roussanne, 34% roussanne and 18% viognier): Light gold. A smoky, musky bouquet presents citrus zest, orchard fruits and white flowers, with anise and honey accents adding complexity. Taut and linear on the palate, offering sappy lemon and bitter pear skin flavors that gain flesh with air. Finishes on a waxy note, with good mineral cut and a subtle floral nuance." -Josh Raynolds

2012 North of the Gate Wine Competition - Double Gold Best of Class

2012 California State Fair Wine Competition - Gold Medal Best of Class

The vineyard sits at a 2500 ft elevation with red volcanic and granite soils. The soil in this vineyard is very much reflected in the minerality present in all three of the varietals. 2010 was a cool vintage, which resulted in the fruit having a longer than average hang time on the vine. This gave the berries a good ripe character, while allowing the fruit to fully develop.


The majority of Rousanne was whole cluster pressed. A small amount was destemmed and then went through skin contact fermentation in a closed top fermentor. The wine was aged mainly in stainless steel, with a small amount of 4 year old French oak used. All native/ wild yeasts used were used for the fermentation process.