Founded in 1991 by Frane Franicevic, who brought a winemaking tradition from the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, and run today with his wife Janae, Sunce is one of Sonoma's most genuinely personal small producers. The estate sits on Olivet Road in the Russian River Valley, where olive trees once dominated the landscape and where head-pruned vines now grow alongside an estate Pinot Noir block. Sunce ("sun" in Croatian) produces small lots of single-vineyard varietals, vineyard designates, and classic blends; some bottlings run as small as 200 cases and many are pre-sold through barrel futures. The Zinfandels in particular carry a distinctive character shaped by the family's heritage and hands-on approach.
Estate Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley: from the estate vineyard surrounding the tasting room; a small-lot, single-vineyard expression of Russian River Pinot.
Zinfandel: a Croatian-inflected take on the grape, a nod to founder Frane Franicevic's Dalmatian roots; Zinfandel's ancestor was found in old vines near Split.
Cabernet Sauvignon: a single-vineyard bottling in Sunce's bold, ageworthy red style.
Syrah: dark and spice-driven, one of the estate's many small-production varietals.
Chardonnay: a barrel-aged white rounding out the lineup.
The estate Pinot Noir vineyard was planted in 1998, including clone 777, and the tasting room is known for single-clone Pinots and rarities such as Dornfelder and Teran.
The visit feels less like a winery tasting and more like dropping in on a family. Tastings are scheduled by phone with limited capacity and run $25 per person (complimentary for members and up to two guests; kids and pets always welcome). Frane often hosts personally, walking guests through whichever wines are open that day: frequently more than a dozen, sometimes thirty or more across the course of a long visit, including barrel pulls in the cellar with the winemaker. Estate Zora's Pinot Noir from the three-acre vineyard on the property is a signature; the rest of the lineup spans Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Croatian Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah from sourced sites across Russian River and Knights Valley. Bocce ball is set up on the deck. The winery is closed New Year's Day, Easter, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
