The Duckhorn Portfolio has acquired the 289-acre Bottom Line Ranch in the San Miguel District sub-appellation of the Paso Robles AVA.
Planted exclusively to 265 acres of cabernet sauvignon, the vineyard features seven clones on three drought-tolerant rootstocks, the company reports.
With this investment in Paso Robles, The Duckhorn aims to establish a significant estate footprint on California’s Central Coast, which already includes Calera winery’s 82 acres of estate vineyards on Mt. Harlan. The purchase will help provide the company with access to cabernet sauvignon for years to come, while supporting continued growth for its Decoy and Postmark wineries.
Bottom Line Ranch is located in the San Miguel District AVA, near the borders of both the Estrella and Adelaida districts. Situated on the slope of the Santa Lucia Range, the San Miguel District has a Region III climate that is ideal for producing cabernet sauvignon, the company says. The 289-acre property was planted to six blocks totaling 218 acres of cabernet sauvignon in 2014, with 12 more acres planted in 2015, and a final 35 acres established in 2018.
“This acquisition follows our long-term strategy of supporting our wineries with robust estate holdings,” says Alex Ryan, CEO and president of The Duckhorn Portfolio. “Adding Bottom Line Ranch’s 265 acres of cabernet sauvignon to our estate program will provide us with exceptional grapes for both Decoy and Postmark, while cementing our commitment to the Central Coast. There is a reason why Paso Robles has the most cabernet sauvignon acreage of any appellation in California outside of Napa Valley. In addition to producing phenomenal cabernet sauvignon, the Paso Robles winemaking community has done a fantastic job of building global awareness for the region and its wines. Putting down roots in this acclaimed region is an important next step in our long-term vision.”
The company plans on renameing the vineyard in the coming months.
“For a cabernet sauvignon-focused vineyard of its size, location, vine age and quality, Bottom Line Ranch is a rare find,” says Vice President, Central Coast Winegrowing, PJ Alviso. “In terms of row orientations, rootstocks and clonal selection, it has great fundamentals.”
To maximize the quality of the vineyard’s grapes, the site’s farming will be overseen by The Duckhorn Portfolio’s in-house viticulture team and Vineyard Manager Randy Heinzen and his company Vineyard Professional Services. Heinzen also farms Calera’s estate vineyards on Mt. Harlan, and was the former vineyard manager at Beckstoffer Vineyards.
Financial details for the acquisition were not disclosed.
