Exceptional Wines
Start in the Vineyard
Carefully chosen for personality, our vineyard sites are located in some of the most sought-after, cool‑climate appellations along the West Coast: Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley, Carneros, and Willamette Valley, to name a few.
"High-risk, high-reward" vineyards equal high-personality wines.
Our vines grow in marginal climates and are placed under extreme pressures to ripen their fruit. We take the risk that, in some vintages, the adversity the vine faces will be so extreme that we may not be able to make a wine from that site—but the reward of a more complex, exciting, and dynamic wine in the years we can is too good to pass up! Each year we make over 30 single-vineyard bottlings from across as many as seven distinct American Viticultural Areas. Our winemaking team uses artisan techniques to highlight the unique character of each vineyard site, producing beautiful and unique wines with a sense of place.
Our Uniquely
Expressive Vineyards
Arrendell Vineyard
Arrendell Vineyard sits in arguably the coldest spot in the Green Valley sub-appellation of the Russian River Valley AVA. The vineyard is sometimes referred to as the "Snowshoe Vineyard" because, in wet years, the vineyard manager has had to equip his pruning team with snowshoes to get through a small area of muddy rows. Each year, the vineyard struggles to ripen the fewer-than-two-tons-per-acre crop by Halloween. Often, much of Sonoma County's Cabernet Sauvignon (the latest ripening red varietal) is picked before Arrendell Pinot Noir. These adverse conditions create a wine of distinct character.
Wines From This Vineyard
Dina's Vineyard
Dina's Vineyard was planted by the Arata family more than 100 years ago. Today only about five acres of gnarled, dry-farmed vines remain at the Arata home. The vines are predominantly headtrained. They are planted on the typical old-vine, eight-by-eight spacing, originally intended to allow horses to cultivate between the vines in both directions of the vineyard planting. A deep, dark color, coffee-like aromas, and dense, broad texture are all typical indicators of Dina's Vineyard terroir.
Wines From This Vineyard
Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard
The 100-year old Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard is located on about seven acres along a slight rise off Wood Road in the Russian River Valley appellation of Sonoma County. It is dry-farmed and has been hand-tended by the Fanucchi family for the last 29 years. The vineyard is head-trained, but the Fanucchis have raised the gnarled vines from just above ground level to chest height. This modification appears to provide greater sun exposure and air circulation and to have reinvigorated the old vines, enhancing the production of high-quality, old vine fruit.
The soils on Wood Road are sandy loam of relatively low pH and fertility. Old vines on these soils produce small Zinfandel berries with bright, concentrated cherry and blackberry fruit flavors. At optimum ripeness, the fruit makes a big, intense, long-lived Zinfandel of unique personality. Bright, high-tone cherry aromas and flavors are typical indicators of Fanucchi-Wood Road terroir.
Wines From This Vineyard
Far Coast Vineyard
Our Far Coast Vineyard is a cool site surrounded by redwood forests, almost two hours north of the Russian River on a Sonoma Coast mountain ridge. It is an area that some call the 'True Sonoma Coast'. Others would simply describe the distant vineyard site as "the middle of nowhere". Far Coast Vineyard sits just south of the Peay Vineyard at an elevation of about 900 feet above sea level. The soils at this ridge-top site are well drained and help to intensify the sense of minerality and focus in this rare single-vineyard Pinot Noir.
Wines From This Vineyard
Fog Dance
Our Fog Dance Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are from our organically farmed, estate-owned Pinot Noir vineyard on the rolling hills located just to the east of Green Valley Creek in the Russian River Valley. This gorgeous Pinot Noir vineyard was planted in 1996 upon Goldridge fine sandy loam soils to several Dijon clones: 667, 777 and 115. The stunningly beautiful Chardonnay vineyard was planted in 1998 using Dijon Chardonnay Clone 96 and ENTAV 809.
The Fog Dance Vineyard is thus called because of the dance performed by the Pacific fog, drifting through the vineyards and back again to the sea each day.
Wines From This Vineyard
Hailey's Block
Hailey's Block Pinot Noir is located within the prestigious Arrendell Vineyard and is named after founders Don and Jenny Hartford's daughter, Hailey. The block was planted over 20 years ago to Dijon clones 114 and 777, at a time when Hailey was just six years old. Over time, we have watched both Hailey and her namesake Pinot Noir mature into personalities of great strength, beauty, and charm.
Wines From This Vineyard
Hartford Vineyard
Don & Jennifer Hartford tend this head-trained vineyard in the backyard of their home on Wood Road in the Russian River Valley AVA. Planted over 100 years ago, these low yielding vines produce as little as a half ton an acre in some vintages. Intense blackberry, anise and allspice aromas and a supple texture are signatures of this unique terroir.
Wood Road has well-draining, low fertility, sandy loam soils about two to three feet in depth over deeper layers of compacted sandy loam of about four to six inches. Because the Italian immigrants who planted the Wood Road Vineyard in the early 1900s wanted to ensure long vine life and moisture for their dry-farmed vines, they placed a blasting cap where each vine was to be planted and blasted through the compacted layer. Today we continue to enjoy the fruits of their ingenuity and celebrate the legacy of "dynamite" Zinfandels.
Wines From This Vineyard
Highwire Vineyard
Over 100 years old, the Highwire Vineyard takes its name from the vineyard’s trellising systems: half of the parcel is head-trained and half is trained on a high wire trellis strung between each vine. This trellising method was implemented by the previous vineyard owner, Lloyd and Dee Chelli to permit greater sun exposure and promote even ripening. Both sections of the vineyard are harvested and aged separately to ensure that we capture all characteristics of the Highwire Vineyard Zinfandel. Cool nights in the Russian River Valley help retain bright acidity, while double sorting removes less ripe berries and raisins, retaining a fresh fruit focus.
The Chelli family cares deeply for the old vines behind their home. Their dedicated approach to farming is reflected in the character of the wine produced from their vineyard. Hartford Family Winery purchased the Highwire Vineyard from the Chelli’s in 2018, and Lloyd and Dee still live on the property and watch over this historic vineyard every day!
Wines From This Vineyard
Jennifer's Vineyard
Jennifer’s Vineyard is named after co-proprietor Jennifer Hartford. The Jennifer’s Chardonnay Vineyard is from a block in an estate owned vineyard located in the Sebastopol Hills sub-region of the Russian River Valley AVA. This region and vineyard are known for their cool climate, goldridge soils and windy conditions on the edge of the Petaluma Wind Gap.
Wines From This Vineyard
Jolene’s Vineyard
Jolene’s Vineyard takes its name from a merging of the first names of the owners of Maffei Vineyards - Joanne and Arlene. This old vine vineyard joined the Hartford Zinfandel portfolio beginning in 2004, as a single vineyard offering, and as an important component of our Russian River Valley Zinfandel blend. It is rare for an older Russian River Valley Zinfandel vineyard, such as Jolene’s, to be planted almost exclusively to Zinfandel selections, with very small percentages of Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet and Carignan.
Wines From This Vineyard
Maclean's Block
MacLean’s Block, named after Don and Jennifer Hartford’s son, was planted in 2000 when MacLean was just three years old. MacLean loves the vineyard site and its surrounding forest that is home to cougars, bobcats, wild turkeys and red-tailed hawks. It is an estate-owned vineyard, nestled near redwood groves on a beautiful northeastern facing slope, near the small town of Occidental. Scenic views of the Russian River Valley, Mount St. Helena and Geyser Peak make MacLean’s block one of the most beautiful vineyard locations in all of Sonoma County. The site is planted to Dijon 667 and 777 selections on Goldridge fine sandy loam soils. There is a true sense of the forest that surrounds the vineyard that carries through into this compelling expression of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.
Wines From This Vineyard
Marin Vineyard
This wine is sourced from a small, dry-farmed vineyard on rolling hills in an area of Marin that has been home to cattle and dairies for the last century. Today there are small vineyard sites scattered across Marin that are producing very interesting and distinct fruit.
Wines From This Vineyard
Muldune Trail Vineyard
The Estate-owned Muldune Trail Vineyard is located at about 1,600 feet in elevation, high above the Anderson Valley town of Boonville. The Vineyard’s name is derived from lore and the obscure dialect of English known as Boontling that developed in Anderson Valley in the late 1800’s. In Boontling, a Muldune is a voluptuous young woman, and the Muldune Trail is the trail that young Booneville men traversed in the late 1800’s over the mountain to reach the town of Ukiah to meet young women. Our Muldune Vineyard is located off the Muldune trail and named after its location and for the voluptuous character. Robert Parker compared the 2012 Muldune Trail Pinot to a lush, full-bodied Volnay.
Wines From This Vineyard
Seascape Vineyard
Seascape Vineyard sits on a panoramic site on a scenic ridge-top west of Occidental, California in the Sonoma Coast AVA. The vineyard abuts an old redwood grove and faces cascading ridges to Bodega Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The well-known Coastlands Vineyard also borders the property. With no ridge between the ocean and the vineyard, Seascape is extremely cold — so cold that Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is often picked in late October. The vineyard is cropped to about two tons per acre to ensure thorough ripening. Though difficult to farm, Seascape's grapes offer the great reward of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir brimming with intensity, terroir and structure.
Wines From This Vineyard
Sevens Bench Vineyard
Intensive farming and low yields are the foundations of our Carneros AVA Seven’s Bench Single Vineyard. The vineyard is on a ridge at a 200-foot elevation, part of an uplifted riverbed that allows good drainage in the traditional clay-based soils of the region. The name Sevens Bench is derived from the two clones originally planted on our block: Clones 37 (Mount Eden) and Dijon 777.
Wines From This Vineyard
Stone Côte Vineyard
The Stone Côte Vineyard is a small vineyard block within the well-known Durell Vineyard, it sits in the path of an ancient, uplifted river bed on the flank of Sonoma Mountain within the cool Sonoma Coast AVA. Tumbled and water-worn cobblestones now litter the landscape of the vineyard, and very little topsoil remains. The nutritionally deficient soils force the vines to search for water and generate considerable stress on the vines. The stressed vines in turn yield very small clusters with intense varietal flavors.
Climatically, this vineyard site is characterized by cool daytime temperatures, high winds and cold ocean breezes. The low fertility soils and the cool temperatures unite to form an ideal site for growing Chardonnay. The wine's flinty aromas and mineral-laden finish are a reflection of the stony vineyard's location.
Wines From This Vineyard
Three Jacks Vineyard
Three Jacks Vineyard is a small vineyard in the heart of the Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA. It is farmed by the Dutton family and has a history with Hartford Family Winery, being bottled as a Designated Vineyard wine from 1999 through 2004. We are excited to have brought it back into our lineup with the 2012 offering.
The vineyard is located on Graton Road next to the Dutton Shop, and is known to most as Triple JS – the name derived from the partnership of the owners – Joe, Juan, Jose and Steve. It was planted in 1995 to 4 clonal selections: old Wente, Rued, Dijon 95 and Clone 15. The name Three Jacks was coined in a barrel tasting with the 1999 vintage and has stuck ever since.
Wines From This Vineyard
Velvet Sisters Vineyard
In the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County, some local residents speak an obscure dialect of English known as Boontling, developed in the late 1800s. The "Velvet Sisters" are local historical figures who, in Boontling lore, became known for wearing plush, velvety dresses that they had purchased on a trip to British Columbia.
We receive grapes from a small hillside vineyard block at the "Deep End" of the Anderson Valley that we call "Velvet Sisters" in tribute to the Anderson Valley history and the wine's plush velvety texture. This vineyard, located near the town of Philo, is planted to the Dijon clone 115 and the Pommard clones of Pinot Noir. We feel this vineyard and the aforementioned clones are influential in producing a wine with lively fruit aromas and a silky texture, exemplary of the best of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir.
Wines From This Vineyard
Warrior Princess Block
The Warrior Princess Block is a Block in Oregon’s renowned Zena Crown Vineyard. The Zena Crown Vineyard is on a hillside near the town of Zena, an Oregon ghost town, between the towns of Eola and Amity in the State of Oregon.
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Learn more about Hartford's winegrowing and commitment to sustainability.
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