AVA - Russian River, Sonoma Coast
Bohemian Vineyard is a seven-acre parcel in Freestone, CA that was developed from
1998-2000 and which began yielding mature crop in 2002.
Since the local climate and soil quality are ideal for Burgundian varietals, Tom
& Sue Cleary chose to initially plant the vineyard to Pinot Noir vines, although
they may expand to complementary varietals over time. Under the direction of the
highly-experienced Dutton Ranch Management Team, the vines were originally planted
in a north-south direction using 5' by 9' spacing with vertical shoot positioning.
Three years ago, the Clearys interplanted an additional 3,000 vines in one half
of the vineyard in order to pursue an alternative viticultural approach using 2.5'
by 9' spacing with split canopies. This method optimizes sun coverage for all of
the plants throughout the day.
All of the Bohemian vines use 101-14 rootstock -- preferred by many experienced
viticulturists for its robust qualities – and are equally divided between the esteemed
Dijon 115, 667, and 777 clones. In combination, these selections work beautifully
since the first two contribute to the wine's structure while the latter delivers
classic Pinot Noir aromatics and flavor characteristics. Since development was complete,
Bohemian Vineyard has been managed by the respected viticulturist, Arturo Robledo
. The size of the vineyard allows him to give personal attention to soil nutrients,
irrigation, cluster development, crop cover control and yield, which is kept to
approximately two tons per acre in order to maximize the quality of the final crop.