FROM THE WIRES…
After a wildly wet and windy winter, spring could not come sooner in California! Newness and anticipation abound and Three Sticks, the boutique, family-owned Sonoma-based winery renowned for its luxury estate-grown small-lot pinot noir and chardonnay wines, is channeling this energy as it shares its spring releases, including 2021 Durell Vineyard Origin Chardonnay (SRP $70) and 2021 Monarch Pinot Noir (SRP $75). As these coveted wines leave the cellar to be savored and enjoyed, in the vineyards “budbreak,” will soon begin marking the start of another vintage, readying wine grapes for several sumptuous months of sunshine and ripening ahead.
Founded in 2002 by Bill Price, Three Sticks owns some of the most iconic properties of Sonoma County, including six grand cru level estate vineyards. Three are monopole vineyards which by definition are exclusive to Three Sticks’ wines (Alana, William James and One Sky), and three are heritage vineyards that have an unparalleled history and provenance (Durell, Gap’s Crown and Walala). Each offers a combination of soil and climate that consistently produce the highest quality grapes for some of the finest chardonnay and pinot noir. Winemaker Ryan Prichard crafts wines from Price’s sought-after vineyards, and his intimate relationship with each property shines through in each of these exceptional wines.
2021 Durell Vineyard Origin Chardonnay: The rocky, volcanic soils of Durell is one of the most diverse and prized vineyards in Sonoma Valley. This rolling 610-acre parcel spans the Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Coast and Carneros AVAs, and is the birthplace of Three Sticks Wines. Sitting in the heart of Sonoma, this special site is exposed to both the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean influences that combine to produce wines of extraordinary depth. An emblematic Three Sticks wine, and counterpart to the Durell Chardonnay, the Origin Chardonnay differs due to its time in concrete egg and stainless steel, providing the purest expression of chardonnay, perfect for kicking off spring!
2021 Monarch Pinot Noir: The inaugural vintage of this special wine blends the best of the best from Three Sticks’ estate vineyards to create a rich and earthy pinot noir. This thoughtfully selected winemaker blend from all six of Three Sticks’ Sonoma County estate vineyards (Alana, William James, One Sky, Durell, Gap’s Crown and Walala) reflects the winemaker’s interpretation of all that these treasured vineyards offer in one complete wine. Named after the Monarch butterflies that delight the landscape throughout Sonoma and Northern California as they migrate throughout their lives, influences of the diverse Sonoma County terroir and its quintessential sea spray minerality keeps this wine bright and lively.
Now in its third decade of making world-class, terroir-driven wines, Three Sticks epitomizes Sonoma’s potential and is often the wine of choice for seasoned somms and oenophiles alike.
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