Medlock Ames is one of Alexander Valley's most thoughtful small producers, farming certified organic estate vineyards on Bell Mountain, where Alexander Valley meets the Russian River Valley, and producing a tight range of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir that prioritizes precision over power. The Bell Mountain Ranch site, at 1,300-foot elevation with rocky volcanic soils, delivers wines of real site character. The on-site tasting barn and farm (with a kitchen garden, honey production, and olive trees) make it one of the most complete estate experiences in Sonoma wine country.
Bell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley: the estate flagship; a muscular hillside Cabernet (95 points).
Kate's & B's Cabernet Sauvignon: an elegant, balanced Cabernet from blocks named for the founders' wives.
Heritage Merlot: a rich, estate-grown red.
Estate Sauvignon Blanc: a bright, organically farmed white.
Estate Chardonnay: a balanced white from the solar-powered Bell Mountain Ranch.
Chris Medlock James and Ames Morison founded the project in 1998 with a goal that now reads as ahead of its time: small-production Bordeaux varieties from one mountain vineyard, farmed organically and without compromise. On their 338-acre Bell Mountain Ranch the vines take only a small share of the land; the rest is left as untouched forest and a wildlife corridor. The tasting room sits in a lovingly restored century-old crossroads building at the intersection of Highway 128 and Alexander Valley Road: stone foundations, worn pine, a small garden out back. The flight walks through the Cabernet, Bordeaux blends, Sauvignon Blanc, and small-production Heritage Merlot sourced from vines whose budwood traces back to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello plantings. Guests wanting the full story can book the Bell Mountain Tour and taste in the vineyard itself.
