Chalk Hill takes its name from the white volcanic ash soils that give the appellation its visual identity — pale, almost ghostly hillsides that stand out from the surrounding landscape. Located at the northeastern edge of the Russian River Valley, it is warmer and more sheltered than the fog-influenced lowlands below. Chardonnay here takes on a broader, richer character than Russian River proper, with the minerality of volcanic ash adding complexity. Sauvignon Blanc also thrives — textured, aromatic, and age-worthy. Chalk Hill Estate, the appellation's eponymous anchor, has long demonstrated what these soils are capable of.
Tasting fees are per person — $ under $25 · $$ $25–50 · $$$ $50–100 · $$$$ $100+. Reserve and seated experiences may run higher.
Established in the late 1990s when Jess and Barbara Jackson sought a Sonoma site to rival Grand Cru Bordeaux. Vigneron Pierre Seillan — also of Vérité — makes single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from two Knights Valley vineyards, Helena Dakota and Helena Montana. Tastings are at the Jackson estate in Chalk Hill.
Founded in 2005 by David Jeffrey on a 17-acre Chalk Hill hillside above Windsor, shale and sandstone with views toward Mount St. Helena. Planted to the five red Bordeaux varieties plus Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Philippe Melka consults; Jeffrey farms, blends, and pours. Six wines per vintage, intimate by design.
The founding voice of the Chalk Hill AVA, 1,477 acres of heritage oak woodlands with 60 small vineyards meandering through the volcanic tuff soils that name the appellation. Frederick Furth's 1972 vision, now a Foley Family property. Elevated tasting pavilion with vineyard views; Hummer tours, garden walks, seated estate flights.
Founded in 2001 by the Roth family, producing Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley. Bill Foley acquired it in 2012, adding Sonoma Coast Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to the Bordeaux foundation. The hospitality estate on Chalk Hill Road, across from Chalk Hill Estate, features an 8,500-square-foot brick-lined cave and terraces.
The Sonoma project of Gonzague and Claire Lurton, fourth-generation Bordeaux winemakers whose French holdings include Château Durfort-Vivens, Château Climens, and Château Ferrière. It sits on the white volcanic ash of Chalk Hill Mountain, the wines vinified in a converted old barn far from château formality. The Acaibo blend leads.
Established in 1998 by Jess Jackson and Bordelais vigneron Pierre Seillan. Vérité makes three blends: La Muse (Merlot-led), La Joie (Cabernet-led), and Le Désir (Cabernet Franc-led), from sixty micro-blocks across Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill, Knights Valley, and Bennett Valley. A stone chai-style winery opened on Chalk Hill Road in 2019.
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