Soberanes Vineyard was planted in 2008 by Gary Franscioni and Mark Pisoni just 20 yards south of Garys’ Vineyard, separated only by a dirt road. Many people asked “Why not just call it Garys’ Vineyard” given its proximity? The answer, of course, is that Soberanes is truly a unique and different site. For one, it is located on the historic land grant owned, today, by fifth generation Soberanes family members. More importantly, Gary and Mark drew on their 40 years of combined experience to design a vineyard that is
completely different in its planting and wine profile. Together, they diversified the clonal selection, choosing Pisoni and 667 for Pinot Noir and numerous Old Wente strains for Chardonnay; they planted the vineyard to a true North/South orientation for uniform ripening, and opted for tighter row spacing (6ft rather than 8ft) to promote deeper root structures by creating more competition between the vines for water and nutrients. The vineyard’s uniquely rocky soils further stress the vines and encourage even more complexity. All of these factors, combined, contribute to making Soberanes Vineyard a fascinating vineyard to farm and make wine from.
