Medlock Ames

Medlock Ames is located on 335 acres of rolling oak and madrone woodland in the South-Western portion of the Alexander Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area). The growing season temperature here is similar to Bordeaux's – perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. The property also defines the eastern border of the Chalk Hill AVA, an appellation known for having the perfect soil structure for full flavored white varieties such as Chardonnay. Medlock Ames currently farms 56 acres of wine grapes. The rest of the acreage has been left in its natural state. The winemaking process begins in the vineyard with the choice of trellis systems, shoot positioning, water regimens, row spacing, rootstock and clonal selections. We decided to build our own winery located on our vineyard after producing Medlock Ames Merlot at other wineries for two years. Our goal was to control the winemaking process from grape to bottle. Building from scratch provided us the opportunity to examine other wineries and glean the best features from each, while avoiding their inherent design problems. Governed principally by a desire to make outstanding wine, we chose to employ gravity flow as our winery's chief design element. Gravity flow is the gentlest method of moving wine through its developmental stages. It is vital to preserving the wine's delicate balance. With this system, grapes are first brought into the highest point of the winery. As they journey through the various steps toward becoming wine, they descend to lower levels, always by falling or flowing in a downward motion. The use of gravity flow in winemaking begins at harvest when grapes are brought from the uppermost trellis of Cabernet down to the base of the vineyard where our winery dwells. In accordance with its environment, the structure appears as a meeting of stone and sky. Tasting Room Reservations for tours and/or tasting appointments required. – Description from Nerevar    (hide)