Emeritus Vineyards

Emeritus Vineyards was founded in 1999 by legendary vintner Brice Cutrer Jones when he acquired Hallberg Ranch in the Russian River Valley following the sale of his first winery, Sonoma-Cutrer, with a second vineyard, Pinot Hill, purchased shortly thereafter. Both vineyards share the highly prized sandy loam Goldridge soil and a distinct maritime influence, making them uniquely suited to creating Grand Cru-calibre Pinot Noir. A variety of clones and Burgundian-inspired “close spacing” have established Emeritus Vineyards as one of Sonoma County’s premier grape growers, with many of the more recognisable names of the region fighting to receive an allocation of Brice’s fruit. Since 2011, the quality of the wines has been elevated by dry farming; the practice of eschewing supplemental irrigation, which helps the grapes achieve full physiological ripeness at lower sugar levels. In a region with such little summer rainfall, this complicated task of vineyard management is emblematic of approach taken by Brice and the team at Emeritus in growing the very best possible fruit to make extremely high-quality wines that show a sense of place.