Vineyards
Langtry Estate Vineyards
Langtry Estate consists of 21,349 acres spanning Lake County, Guenoc Valley and northern Napa Valley. To ensure premium wine production, Langtry's vineyards consist of only 449 acres of prime land, 300 acres located in Guenoc Valley.
View enlarged map of Langtry Vineyards.
Petite Sirah Guenoc Block 6
Location: Guenoc Valley, just east of the Langtry House.
Topography: Flat valley terrain, approximately 1,000 feet elevation above mean sea level.
Soil: Loam down to approximately 6 feet in depth, changing the fine sandy loam to 8 feet and deeper. Vine root penetration is very good to 6 feet and more. Nutrient content is low, with some high magnesium influence due to the serpentine parent soils in surrounding hillsides. This magnesium content inherently limits vine vigor and crop levels.
Climate: The growing season in the Guenoc Valley region – warm summer days and cool nights – promotes optimum ripening while retaining optimal fruit acidity. The vines are approaching 20 years old and produce low to moderate crop levels of intensely-flavored fruit characterized by deep purple color, and blackberry-boysenberry aromas, punctuated with spicy crushed black pepper notes.
Chardonnay Guenoc Valley Vineyard
Location: Guenoc Valley is located in southern Lake County approximately 6 miles east of Middletown.
This vineyard is located in the eastern portion of Guenoc Valley, (in a watershed of neighboring hillsides). Freddy Gebhard's lodge is approximately half a mile to the east.
Topography: This part of the Guenoc Valley is flat but also has a large amount of underground water movement due to it proximity to the surrounding hills and is at an elevation of approximately 1,000 feet above mean sea level.
Soil: The soil is loamy with a gravel band varying from 2 to approximately 8 feet in depth. The soil chemistry of the vineyard is one of the best in Guenoc Valley for white grapes, routinely producing its highest quality Chardonnay.
Climate: The climate in Guenoc Valley is such that Chardonnay produces apple rather than lemon-like flavors. To further encourage this characteristic the fruit is picked at a slightly higher brix than normal. To compliment the enhanced natural orange blossom aroma with oak from the forests near Burgundy, France.
Guenoc Block 4 – Sauvignon Blanc Vineyard
Location: Guenoc Valley, just west of the Langtry House
Topography: Generally flat valley terrain, with a small hill (Guenoc Crown) protruding from the western end of the vineyard.
Soil: Loam down to approximately 6 feet in depth, changing to fine sand loam to 8 feet and deeper. Vine root penetration is very good to 6 feet and more, where natural ground moisture is abundant in the spring. Nutrient parameters are considered excellent for white grape production at moderate crop levels.
Climate: The growing season in Guenoc Valley region – warm summer days and cool nights - promotes optimum ripening while retaining optimal fruit acidity. This accentuates the desirable “peach-melon” flavor spectrum in the fruit from our estate Sauvignon Blanc vineyards, rather than the overtly grassy or herbaceous characteristics common from other areas.
Tephra Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard
Location: South of Langtry Estate & Vineyards and Butts Canyon Road, on the northeast facing hillsides and uplands 400 feet above the Guenoc Valley floor.
Topography: Several different blocks are situated on a variety of slopes and flatter plots. Some of the slopes are steep, requiring terracing, while others have more gentle contours. Flatter pieces occupy smaller parcels and are the exception rather than the rule.
Soil: All sites share a common pyroclastic or volcanic origin, which has produced a soil profile known as “tephra”. This is a light, fluffy porous loam, several feet in depth, with variations in texture from fine sandy to pebbly to gravelly.
Climate: Situated above the floor of Guenoc Valley, and with its northeasterly exposure, this vineyard site is slightly warmer in winter and cooler in summer than the valley. Frost is usually not a problem in spring, and cooling winds prevail on the slopes during the summer. The higher elevation and exposure away from the direct mid-day sun also moderate any high temperatures of summer, while nights are generally a few degrees cooler, due to elevation and convection currents.