Cole Ranch is both a vineyard and the smallest appellation (AVA) in the United States. Originally planted by John Cole in the 1970s, it currently grows Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Riesling. Mike Lucia recently purchased 150 acres of the property, with plans to add Alpine-style varieties such as Gamay, Trousseau, Savagnin, and Poulsard in the future. The property sits on a bench of land in the middle of Highway 253, completely isolated from the vineyards of Uquia and Anderson Valley. The wines produced stay true to the varietals while retaining a core of minerality and texture reminiscent of Chablis.
The soft aroma of white peach, lime peel, baker's yeast, and petrol with a hint of crushed stone is a light-bodied wine with a dry, textured palate, tangy acidity, citrus-driven flavors, and a long, juicy finish.
After his career as a marine biologist, owner Ross Cobb's father David was looking for a new place to spend his second life. Having long dreamed of winemaking, he traveled many times along the California coastline to the Oregon border, and in 1989 he found land on the western edge of Sonoma County, near the red cedar forest, with a view from Mount Tamalpais to the mouth of the Russian River Valley, and moved there with his wife Diane. There was no electricity or running water, so it was all a challenge from scratch, but David, who had knowledge of oceanography and ecology, was convinced that the soil and climate of this land could produce a wonderful Pinot Noir that could be proud of the world, and with the help of his son Ross and friends, he planted the first four acres of Pinot Noir. This was the birth of "Coastland Vineyards".
William Salem, a well-known local Sonoma winery, was the first to recognize the quality of Coastland grapes and to adopt them, designating them as a single vineyard in 1994.
Ross studied agricultural ecology at a university in Santa Cruz, and helped his parents in their fields during his free time. After graduation, he started working at FerrariCarrano, which was close to his parents, and started a soil science laboratory as an engineer while supporting the family business. His full-fledged winemaking career began at William Salem in 1998, and in 2000 he joined Flowers as an assistant, and in 2004 he became winemaker. He then worked at Hirsch Vineyards for six years, establishing the winery's reputation. During this time, he released his own brand, Cobb Wines, for the first time in 2001. While creating the Cobb brand at Flowers and Hirsch, he was pondering how to develop this family brand.
In order to raise awareness in the industry in 2003, they selected 75 high-end restaurants around San Francisco with the Zagat Restaurant Guide and knocked on the doors of each one of them with six bottles of the first release, the 2001 vintage. Their efforts paid off, and the wine is now available in 120 restaurants in the Bay Area.
In addition to these steady visits, Ross also verified how excellent Sonoma wines are and what is needed to evolve further. In between harvests and brewing in California, he would go to Burgundy with as much Sonoma Pinot Noir as he could and have local winemakers taste it. He worked in the cellar as much as he could and exchanged various opinions about American and French wines with Burgundy vignerons while tasting local wines. François Leclerc was impressed by Ross's initiative and gathered more than 25 producers for a joint tasting. Despite being only 30 years old, Ross had built a solid relationship between Sonoma and Burgundy, and their high evaluation of Sonoma Pinot Noir, including Coastland, gave him great confidence. Even though Sonoma's fine wine is now listed on the menus of many Michelin-starred restaurants, Ross still travels to Burgundy on an occasional basis and is always researching how to make better wine.