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On a 4.2-acre site perched on volcanic hillsides above the region’s signature morning fog, High Ranch Vineyard has exposure to intense sunshine that yields early-ripening and deeply expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. The property has a view of the illustrious Kongsgaard “The Judge” Vineyard and similarly prized terroir, but greatness is being coaxed from the grapes grown from this site in its own right. Superstar Sam Kaplan has crafted a stunning first release for upstart winery, with its 2021 Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon providing the perfect combination of vineyard sourcing and winemaking talent.
Before their 2006 acquisition of the 42-acre property, High Ranch owners Shawn and Connie Guttersen lived in the area for 12 years and knew its history with the Kongsgaard-Streblow family, who first established it as a cattle and horse ranch in the 1920s and planted grapes in the ’70s. “We were drawn to its rugged beauty: the rolling hills, the way the sunlight caught the ridgelines, and the quiet, magnetic presence of the landscape,” Connie says. Kaplan was blown away by the vineyard’s potential even before the Guttersens asked him to map and plant it. “I was trying to find new virgin sites for Vida Valiente, so when the opportunity to work with Shawn and Connie popped up and I was able to help with the layout for High Ranch as well, it really felt like the stars had aligned,” he says…