Porter Creek got its start in 1977 when George Davis purchased 40 acres of land in Sonoma. Seeing that it was an ideal location for growing Burgundian varietals, he planted 10 acres of Chardonnay in addition to the 12 acres of Pinot Noir already on the land. The winery was bonded in 1982 and for the next 15 years, George paid no attention to the ever-changing wine trends and simply worked to express the unique terroirs of the Russian River Valley.
In 1997 George handed wine-making responsibility to his son, Alex. In addition to growing up working along side his father at the winery, Alex studied Enology at Fresno University and spent several years in France working with renowned wine makers including Christophe Roumier and Marcel Guigal.
Like his father, Alex chooses to ignore popular style shifts. Instead the wines are tastefully oaked, have moderate alcohol and they use only natural fermentation. Their vineyards are low yielding, around one and a half tons per acre.
Although the style at Porter Creek has remained true to George’s original vision, one major change Alex made was the transition of their vineyards to biodynamic farming. Rigorous attention is paid both to the soil and the vines to ensure the entire vineyard is operating in harmony. The results are pure, balanced wines that speak strongly of their source, not just the hand that got them into the bottle.
In addition to their estate wines, Porter Creek produces a number of different wines from purchased fruit from similarly minded sources including Carignane, Syrah, Viognier and Zinfandel. They are available by special order only, please inquire if interested.
The Hillside Vineyard can be best understood by examining the subparcels within the vineyard. The eastern subparcel is comprised of hard clay topsoil with a dense subsoil bedrock. The bedrock layer stresses the vines. resulting in grape clusters of small concentrated berries that ripen early in the season. The western subparcel contains hard clay with a deep water table, and a slope that gradually curves to an increasingly southwestern exposure. These factors cause the western subparcel to break buds slightly later, and increase the hang-time of ripening clusters. In order to harvest each subparcel at optimal ripeness, the Hillside Vineyard is harvested in two to three picks in ridiculously small quantities, as little as two to three barrels worth.
Tasting Notes: The wine shows nuances of light and dark red fruits and rose petals on the palate. It is full-bodied and tightly wound. Aging is rewarding.