Sonoma County mountain cab looks for its own spotlight outside of Napa County’s shadow

Long in the shadow of their neighbors to the east in Napa County, vintners who specialize in cabernet sauvignon grown from higher elevations in Sonoma County are pushing for their time in the spotlight.

They argue the wines coming out of Sonoma County ― particularly from the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains within the Alexander Valley wine region ― can rival those compared to Napa County with their complex tannin structure and captivating aromatics.

The perception, however, still has not taken a greater hold in the marketplace where luxury Napa “mountain cab” sells for at least $100 per bottle more and has created an international buzz that attracts thousands of tourists annually, lured in by feature stories in wine publications for the most coveted wines in the U.S.

“These are really, really, really special wines,” said Brian Ball, general manager of Skipstone, a boutique Alexander Valley winery.

Skipstone produces about 2,500 cases annually and sells almost all of its inventory directly to consumers from a range of $70 to $375. “I think we would all probably add another 100 bucks a bottle or more if we just happened to be on the east side of the Mayacamas range,” Ball added.

Times are changing, however.

A group of local vintners earlier this year organized an effort to highlight the Pocket Peak wine region, which encompasses 30,755 acres and almost 3,000 acres of planted vines within the hills of the Alexander Valley. They are requesting the land be designated as an American Viticultural Area by the federal government to help boost the marketing of the region, most significantly on its bottle labeling.

The proponents include such notable names as Christopher Jackson, proprietor of Stonestreet Estate Vineyards; Jesse Katz, founder and winemaker of Aperture Cellars; Courtney Foley, executive vice president at Foley Family Wines; and JW Reynoso, vice president of Reynoso Family Vineyards.

“I feel like Sonoma County cabernet is underrepresented in terms of quality and prestige in the United States of America,” said Jackson.

His family also owns Vérité Winery, the Healdsburg business that is regarded as best in class within Sonoma County and recognized internationally for its Bordeaux-style blends. Vérité is in a select group of Sonoma County wineries to gain traction in the luxury market as its cabernet sauvignon portfolio has an average price of more than $400 per bottle on wine-searcher.com.

“I actually think internationally with people truly in the know, the best international sommeliers, the best international gatekeepers and critics … have a fundamental understanding that Sonoma County is one of the most profound areas and Alexander Valley is one of the most profound areas for cabernet,” Jackson said.

There was not such a disparity between the counties a generation ago. For example, the difference between Sonoma County cabernet sauvignon grapes and those picked in Napa County in 2000 was almost 30% on a price per ton basis, $2,417 in Sonoma compared to $3,123 in Napa.

Those prices translate to how much wineries charge for their per bottle price.

But marketing efforts, notably by the Napa Valley Vintners trade group, have helped propel Napa cabernet sauvignon into a top luxury market item. The buzz has attracted fans to Napa as varied as NBA stars and other celebrities and some have entered the wine business.

The French also have taken notice and have bought up such properties such as the owners of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte in Bordeaux in 2020 buying the Flora Springs estate between Rutherford and St. Helena.

“Napa has done a fantastic job on building what they do,” said Rob McMillan, founder of Silicon Valley Bank’s wine division. “They’ve done a good job consistently for a number of years.”

The result: Napa County cabernet sauvignon was at an average price per ton of more than $8,000 for the 2021 harvest while Sonoma County was at $2,739. In some prime areas around the hilly areas of Howell Mountain and Atlas Peak, the Napa County fruit could sell between $14,000 and $15,000 a ton, said Christian Klier, North Coast grape broker for Turrentine Brokerage in Novato.

Napa “cult cab” wineries, such as Screaming Eagle, have surpassed the $1,000 bottle price for its members and those rare bottles that do end up on online marketplace sites are listed for much more.

The price disparity does open up some opportunities for more cost-conscious consumers for amazing cabs from Sonoma County just over the mountain along Highway 128. But there is also a realization among some Sonoma County vintners that perhaps they have been undervaluing their product.

For instance, Medlock Ames winery has just introduced its limited-edition cabernet sauvignon, The Flag, that showcases top fruit from its Bell Mountain vineyard in Alexander Valley. Each bottle sells at $200, which is the most expensive wine made by the small winery, said president Julie Rothberg.

“It’s still amazing wine and amazing value relative to similar wines in Napa because it doesn’t have the same ZIP code,” Rothberg said.

The Flag was an exercise to produce the best quality among its winemaking team, but she added that it could also serve as a barometer to gauge receptiveness to a higher price point for luxury cabernet sauvignon from Sonoma County.

“I think there is opportunity for Sonoma, and not everyone in Sonoma, but select places in Sonoma to really command that kind of price,” Rothberg said.

Sonoma County wineries have traditionally not focused on cabernet because the weather is too cold for the variety to ripen well in many parts of the county, said winemaker Adam Lee. Sonoma County is more known for its pinot noir and chardonnay.

But changes in weather patterns along with vine plantings in specific areas tailored to cabernet sauvignon have led Lee to be more optimistic, especially with such vintners as Katz and Robert Kamen along with the Peter Michael Winery in the Knights Valley wine region.

“The press is noticing these wines as well and they are performing incredibly well. I think the future of cab in Sonoma is quite bright,” Lee said in an email.

The Pocket Peak area could play a major role in that reevaluation given its unique features, Jackson said.

The area has a high-degree of slope; receives more rainfall than nearby areas; features a significant amount of soil diversity; and has warmer weather than the valley floor to make it a prime spot for growing cabernet sauvignon, he added.

The positive reception of Vérité among international buyers is just one signal that Jackson believes will open the doors for others to also gain traction.

“I think the knowledge of the area is inevitable,” Jackson said.