This rosé comes from the coldest spot on the property, between Forestville and Graton along Highway 116 in West Sonoma County—about ten miles west of Santa Rosa, perched on the ridge of the Green Valley. An old Victorian farmhouse sits on the site. The fruit is direct-pressed and fermented in stainless steel, and Mike Kobler took over winemaking in 2022. It’s a robust, full-throttle rosé—not for the faint of heart—with rich aromas of apricot and tangerine peel and a faint hint of bacon fat. The palate is fragrant and mid-weight, offering red-berry fruit layered with savory nuances. There’s good tension and energy, along with a long, deeply fruited finish. Mike’s grandfather retired to Dry Creek Valley in the early 1980s. An engineer by trade, he spent weekends putting young Mike to work in the vineyard whenever he came to visit. Mike went on to study economics and graduated in 2007—just in time for the 2008 market crash—so he pivoted into wine. Despite swearing he’d never enter the industry, he realized he liked the lifestyle, and his network of growers and winemakers proved invaluable. With help from his father, he built a business plan, and they dove in. They launched with a négociant model, and in 2011 produced their first wine from the family property. As Mike began asking around for grape contracts, the business grew steadily. His older brother, Brian Kobler, who had been a winemaker for 20 years, eventually came on board as well.
