Silver Eagle RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, OCCIDENTAL, SONOMA
Silver Eagle is within walking distance of the Lucky Well Vineyard, another source for our B. Wise Vineyards Pinot Noir. These are both located on an undulating plateau at the top of Stoetz Ridge, separating the Sonoma Coast to the west from the Russian River Valley. The late Ulises Valdez, an iconic vineyardist in this area, planted Silver Eagle, which is now managed by his family.
Facing toward the west, beyond stands of redwood and oak woodland that surround the vineyard, ridge after ridge of forest are visible, over which the advancing and retreating fog bank can often be seen hugging the Pacific coast, not ten miles away. The warmer inland thermal mass from the east meets this cooler marine air here, an ideal mixture for Pinot Noir.
In addition to the heritage clones Calera and Swan, Valdez planted Silver Eagle with the Vosne-Romanée clone, named for the renowned Burgundy commune from which it was sourced, which has been called “the greatest Pinot noir village on earth.” As with all “suitcase” clones, its local history is a matter of legend, but the results are clearly evident in this wine that shows sophistication and balance.
The vineyard soils of Silver Eagle are a Goldridge mix with red shale. Goldridge soils are found throughout this part of the Sonoma AVA, and were identified back in the 1880s by Luther Burbank, whose Gold Ridge Farm was the site of some of his most renowned horticultural experiments.
The fine-grained sandy loam has excellent drainage and encourages deep roots but low vigor, perfect for balancing the explosive fruit flavors of the B. Wise Vineyards Pinot Noir with the site’s minerality.
