As I stare at my frosty car windows, it’s clear that winter has suddenly arrived, which means it must be time for the winter club letter. Reflecting on my previous letter from the fall, it’s hard to believe that harvest was barely underway back then—now, it feels like it wrapped up ages ago. The 2024 growing season was characterized by steady, warm weather that condensed ripening into a shorter window without any heat spikes. This allowed us to stay steadily busy without feeling rushed. The resulting fruit quality was remarkable, showcasing fantastic natural acidity and exceptional flavor development. After navigating the challenges of our 2020 vintage, we’re now enjoying a streak of outstanding vintages in Northern California. Coupled with our ongoing commitment to elevating our regenerative farming practices, it’s exciting to see our fruit quality improve each year.

In my last note, I spoke about the 2022 vintage, which was defined by drought and early ripening. Despite the conditions, we achieved nice quality for those of us who were fortunate enough to pick before the Labor Day heatwave. This vintage marked a pivotal moment when we began to see the clear benefits of our regenerative organic farming practices, particularly in terms of soil health and root development. Our vines faced a lack of rainfall and steady heat remarkably well, allowing us to complete harvest before the heatwave arrived. We were very glad to have all of our fruit safely in the winery as Sonoma and Napa experienced multiple days of 110°F temperatures.

First up is a trio of our wines from Carneros, featuring two from Estate and one from our TFV Vineyard. From Donum, we have our flagship Carneros Pinot Noir, crafted from multiple blocks across our Estate, and the only wine we’ve produced every year since our founding in 2001. The 2022 vintage displays the Estate’s signature sassafras note, beautifully balanced with concentration. It’s natural counterpart, the Three Hills Pinot Noir, is also blended from across our Estate, with an emphasis on our cooler, eastern and northern-facing blocks. This results in a lighter, earthier wine with a red-fruit driven profile. Finally, the TFV Pinot Noir, from our neighboring TFV Vineyard, stands out with distinct minerality imparted by its rocky soils, adding a unique dimension to its expression.


The second trio features wines from our Winside Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, a site we acquired in 2013 with plantings dating back to 1997. The Russian River Valley Pinot Noir serves as a wonderful introduction this renowned region, where morning fog preserves natural acidity, and warmer afternoons create a softer, more fruit forward wine compared to our Carneros Estate Pinot Noir. The Russian River Valley Reserve Pinot Noir, a best-barrel selection from these same blocks, takes the intensity up a notch, perfectly demonstrating Pinot Noir’s ability to balance power and elegance in the same sip. Lastly, the Ten Oaks Pinot Noir, a single-block wine, incorporates a touch of whole-cluster fermentation to highlight the savory, umami-driven character of Pinot Noir – a true expression of the elegance of the 2022 vintage.

Thank you once again for your continued support, and we hope you enjoy these wines.