The Wines
These small-lot, single-vineyard DANIEL wines are made first released to members of our Collaborator’s Cicle. Joining our club is your best way to secure the small number of DANIEL wines we produce. Of course, we understand a club doesn’t work for all. Once the club has received their allocation, we announce available wines to our mailing list. Join us there to stay in-the-know. If you simply want to place an order now just click here.
2022 VERNACCIA
Santo Giordano Vineyard
Los Carneros, Sonoma County
This DANIEL vernaccia is a rare find. Grower Sue Smith’s father hand-carried vernaccia budwood from Tuscany decades ago from his vineyard outside the historic village of San Gimignano and grafted these same cuttings onto rootstock in the Los Carneros AVA of Sonoma County. We wanted to stay true to the old world method of crafting vernaccia, so, after picking, we did a light foot stomp on the grapes, then covered them for two days to soak on the skins before pressing. The wine was fermented with native yeast in neutral French oak barrels. An old-world wine made in old-school fashion from the vineyard to glass. It’s refreshingly crisp, with an elegant harmony between fruit and minerality.
$38/bottle | 70 cases produced
2021 chardonnay
perli Vineyard
mendocino ridge, Mendocino
This is a chardonnay lover’s dream—a cool climate chardonnay that Steve Alden grows in the harshest of environments 2000 feet above sea level, that include bears, mountain lions, cold winds from Pacific storms, and rocky soils. These elements give this wine its character and backbone, with a structure that almost vibrates on the palate. We whole-cluster pressed the grapes to tank, let them cold settle overnight, then racked off the heavy solids to barrel. Fermentations were 100% indigenous for both primary and secondary fermentation. We stirred the lees in both barrels weekly, until that moment when texture and natural acidity were in perfect harmony. This isn’t a “fat” chardonnay, but rather a wine that shows its beauty through its angularity and persistence.
$50 | 45 cases produced
2021 Sauvignon Blanc
Totem Ridge Vineyard
Knights Valley, Sonoma County
Totem Ridge vineyard is located near the Napa County border of Knights Valley, high up on the Mayacama Range, where Ken and Susan Piters farm two different blocks of sauvignon blanc, each with different sun exposure and elevation. The entire vineyard is planted over an ancient collapsed caldera, and it’s these volcanic soils that lend depth and complexity to this unique expression of sauvignon blanc.. 2021 will be remembered as an outstanding vintage—no frost in March or April, mild, windless days during flowering, a dry growing season with no heat spikes during ripening. These drought-like conditions led to smaller than usual yields with concentrated flavors, resulting in a sauvignon blanc of exceptional quality.
$34 | 45 cases produced SOLD OUT
2020 ancient vines GRENACHE
gibson ranch vineyard
mcdowell valley, Mendocino
Have you ever tasted history? From the oldest known grenache vines in North America comes the latest wine from DANIEL—the Gibson Ranch Grenache. This Mendocino County vineyard was planted in the early 1900s, before The Great War, before The Great Depression, and before The Greatest Generation. Today it is protected and farmed by grower Scot Bilbro, who is sustaining this venerable and ancient vineyard for future generations, and he’s transitioning farming to wholly organic. Because of his dedication we have the rare opportunity to savor history in a glass. Each vine possesses roots that can reach down over 100 feet, drawing on layer upon layer of storied nuance—a level of minerality and complexity not possible in its younger counterparts. We’re thrilled to share this rare treasure with you.
$55 | 60 cases produced
2020 PINOT NOIR
Grand Vent Vineyard
petaluma gap, sonoma county
Grand Vent is an extraordinary vineyard capable of producing exceptional wines, and this small lot of DANIEL pinot noir is a monument to its greatness. Drew Buechley farms this extreme site at the westernmost entrance to the Petaluma Gap AVA. Heavily influenced by a one-two punch from its marine fog layer and relentless winds, this site produces a highly expressive style of pinot noir—one that somehow combines grace and delicacy with the nervous energy of the ocean-borne elements of wind and fog. This wine displays brooding dark blackberry, mulchy dampness like a forest floor, and we detect a touch of menthol, perhaps from the eucalyptus groves surrounding the vineyard. Dan suggests grabbing at least a half case while it’s available and opening a single bottle every 6 months to track this special wine’s evolution.
$65 | 90 cases produced
2019 cabernet franc
gamino Vineyard
chalk hill, sonoma county
Some wines are worth waiting for, and this is undoubtedly one of them. I searched for over 15 years to find a grower with a passion for and a knowledge of cabernet franc. In 2019 I met a young grower, Juan Gamino, who had sold his business to focus on his passion—growing grapevines of distinction on a western-facing hillside of the Chalk Hill AVA. The eastern facing exposure benefits from plenty of cool morning sunlight and maritime breezes off the Pacific ocean. Seeing this vineyard and hearing Juan’s passion convinced me I’d finally found “the one”—and this wine is the proof in a glass. It’s drinking brilliantly right now and will continue to develop even greater nuance with a few years in your cellar.
$55 | 45 cases produced SOLD OUT