Under the guidance of philosophies like, “Great winemaking is doing the right thing when no one is looking,” and “if it tastes perfect, you’ve missed it,” Bob, Ryan, and the Three Sticks team are crafting elegant wines with a focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They source fruit from some of the top vineyards in Sonoma County including Gaps Crown, Durell, Walala, One Sky, and various other Price Family Estates.
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In this episode, Bob, Ryan, and I sat down to taste through a large portion of the Three Sticks lineup. We delve into the details of each wine, the soils, farming, ecology, everything. Mixed in between we chat about Bob & Ryan’s histories in the wine industry, life & work philosophies, and the practical & technical sides of winemaking in Sonoma County.
In this episode we mention…
Three Sticks
The Adobe
Tonnellerie Ô
Rudolf Steiner, Biodynamics
Bronco Wine Company
Lutum Wines
Russian River Brewery
Barndiva
Domaine Marcel Deiss
Wines we tasted…
2017 Russian River Pinot Noir
2017 Price Family Estates Pinot Noir
2016 Cuvée Eva Marie Pinot Noir
2016 Walala Pinot Noir
2017 Origin Durell Vineyard Chardonnay
2017 Gaps Crown Chardonnay
2016 One Sky Chardonnay Sonoma Mountain
2016 Alana Vineyard Chardonnay
2016 Durell Vineyard Chardonnay
2016 Durell Vineyard Pinot Blanc
2017 Casteñada White
2017 Casteñda Rosé
Francoise Peschon is the head winemaker for Cornell Vineyards. She has always had an affinity for estate properties – for those places that are “about the land and the wines, not necessarily the winemaker.”
In her thirty-year career, she’s worked at some of the best—including Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Araujo Estate Wines, Viader Vineyards and Vine Hill Ranch—quietly crafting some of Napa Valley’s most acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignons of the last three decades. She is quick to credit her mentors, wine industry luminaries like Michel Roland, Warren Winiarski and Tony Soter, whose sensitivity, intellect and sense of aesthetics have clearly inspired her.
Early in her winemaking career, Francoise spent a year in Bordeaux working at Chateau Haut Brion. The first job always makes the greatest impression, and It was there that she knew she wanted to work with Bordeaux varieties at an estate property. Two concepts that have resonated with Francoise for more than 30 years.
She holds a degree in Enology from the University of California—Davis, and participated in the DUAD program at the University of Bordeaux.
Francoise continues to work with Bart and Daphne Araujo on their new venture, Accendo, as well as Vine Hill Ranch and Kelly Fleming Wines. She is also invested in Drinkward Peschon, a small brand she shares with her good friend and neighbor, Lisa Drinkward, since 2000.
Elizabeth Tangney has been making wine in Napa and Sonoma Valleys for several years. She recently began working with Cornell Vineyard where she is the winemaker and works with the vineyard team to grow and care for 20 acres of red Bordeaux varietals.
Before joining the Cornell Vineyards team, Elizabeth worked with Aaron Pott at Saint Helena Winery as winemaker and the vineyard and estate manager. She has also worked at Bryant Family Vineyards, Booker, L’Aventure, and harvest in Bordeaux.
In this episode we mention…
Cornell Vineyards
Chateau Haut-Brion
Arajuo / Eisele Vineyard
Aaron Pott
Henry & Venassa Cornell
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Born in Spain, Laura grew up sharing sips of wine with her father while watching the fishing boats during their family vacations in the North of Spain. Her first sip of Albariño solidified her love of wines and her first winemaking internship solidified her future as a winemaker. After completing her post graduate degree in enology at the Polytechnic University of Madrid Laura started her career in La Mancha and worked in different wine regions in Spain. A few years later, Laura left Spain and traveled to New Zealand and Chile learning as much as she could about winemaking and the influence of terroir in different wine regions. Finally, Laura took a job in the Napa Valley. For over a decade Laura has been making wine in the Napa Valley as the Associate Winemaker for Cardinale, Lokoya, Mt Brave, La Jota and Galerie. She joined Ehlers Estate in July of 2018 and is excited to continue the legacy of this special property.
Learn more about Laura with the show notes here.
In this episode we mention…
Ehlers Estate
Daniel Ramos
Fabio Bartolomei Interview
Galerie Wines
Raul Perez Wines
Follow Laura & Ehlers Estate on
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With the 2016 harvest, Mike, Steve, and their sister Mia, decided to take the family business to a new level by hiring winemaker James Macphail to bring their vision of estate Pinot Noir & Chardonnay under the Sangiacomo Wines label to life. The goal? Create legacy for past, present, and future generations of Sangiacomos.
Fast forward two years, the newly released Sangiacomo Wines are available via allocation through their mailing list, which you can signup on their website, SangiacomoWines.com
In this episode, Mike, Steve, and I sat down to share the stories of the past, the difficult decisions made to strive toward the future, and taste through the inaugural 2016 vintage.
Learn more with the show notes at CruPodcast.com