"At Slayback Vineyard innovation, sustainability, and exceptional grape and wine production is our focus."
--- Carrie Kurtural
The Vineyard
Our vineyard spans 33 acres, offering a diverse terroir that enhances the character of our grapes. The southern end is characterized by silt loam soil, renowned for its excellent drainage and ability to retain nutrients, which supports healthy vine growth and vibrant flavor profiles. Meanwhile, the northwest portion features a significant clay silt-loam composition, which retains moisture and imparts a distinct minerality to the grapes, contributing to the complexity of our wines. This unique combination of soil types allows us to cultivate a range of grape varieties, each reflecting the nuances of our vineyard’s exceptional terroir.
Smart Irrigation System
In collaboration with HotSpot Ag, we have installed a smart irrigation system where we can spoon feed water and nutrients to each varietal depending on crop demand at any time of the year. Our ability to deliver precise amounts of water to different varietals does express the true character of the grapevine berries.
Our unique varietals are a testament to the diverse terroir of our vineyard, producing wines that are rich in character, complexity, and a true expression of our land.
--- Kaan Kurtural and Carrie Kurtural
Chardonnay Grapevines
Our Chardonnay grapevines were lovingly hand planted in 1997 on 1616C rootstock and are trellised to a vertically shoot positioned trellis. We have developed our own irrigation schedule for this difficult to farm varietal that expresses tropical and citrus aromas that have won many gold medals in international competitions.
Cabernet Franc Grapevines
Our Cabernet franc grapevines are on 110R rootstock and get special irrigation scheduling to express the aromas typical of this clone 327. These grapevines get an extra pass of cluster removal and a leaf removal pass after shoot removal to express the true character of this varietal.
Merlot Grapevines
Our Merlot grapevines are planted to a vertically shoot positioned trellis. We chose difficult to farm clone 181 to express the true Merlot character in our warm climate. These grapevines get special shoot removal pass and leaf removal to give the true character of varietal.
Classic Block
Cabernet Sauvignon
Our classic block is planted to clone 30 on 110R rootstock to make the classic California style Cabernet Sauvignon. These grapevines are farmed with utmost care to express the characteristics of our site that is cooled by the nightly breezes.
Old Vine Block
Cabernet Sauvignon
The old vine Cabernet Sauvignon block is planted on a split-canopy trellis, and this imparts a significant spicy character to our berries. These grapes are farmed as rain-fed vines due to their extensive root architecture that formed over the last 35 years and has garnered many gold medals in numerous wine competitions.
Old Vine Block
Syrah
Our old vine Syrah has aromas of violet, blueberry and lovely hints of black pepper with graphite and peat. A multiple gold medal winner for many years is grown on a split-canopy trellis with a hands-off approach that truly expresses the potential of the vineyard.