Winemaking
Kale Anderson, Winemaker
Kale grew up in Sonoma County where he was exposed to the wine industry through a community that encouraged creativity, a love for the outdoors, and faithful stewardship of the land.
He graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in viticulture and enology. After graduation, Kale went to work for Ann and Joe Wender at Colgin Cellars and after stints at Terra Valentine and Cliff Lede in the Stags Leap District, he became the Director of Winemaking at Pahlmeyer. At Pahlmeyer, Kale was able to mature and grow as a winemaker and became the one of the youngest winemakers in Napa to earn a 100 point score from Robert Parker for the 2013 Pahlmeyer Cabernet Sauvignon Piece de Resistance. After five years at Pahlmeyer, Kale decided to focus on his own label of wines and consult for small limited production projects like Longfellow.
Kale is seen as a rising star in the Napa winemaking scene and we are very pleased to have him further developing and honing the Longfellow style of wines. His energy and passion for only making great wines and sweating every detail are the foundation for the Longfellow project.
Longfellow is very fortunate and proud to have Kale Anderson as its winemaker. Kale is the new foundation of the Longfellow winemaking philosophy. He shares our singular goal of only producing exceptional wines of unique character from unique vineyard sites.
Vineyards
Renteria 360 Vineyard - Oakville
The Renteria 360 Vineyard is located on the north end of Oakville, at the border of Rutherford, just off Silverado Trail. The 60-acre vineyard was planted in 2012 and is comprised of multiple blocks with different clone and rootstock combinations. The east-west juxtaposition of our 13 row block allows for optimal ripening and the block has both clone 4 and 15 planted. Renteria 360 maintains many famous Oakville neighbors so it is a rare treat to have the opportunity to produce a bottling from this vineyard, renowned among the farming insiders within the Oakville AVA.
McGah Vineyard - Rutherford
McGah Family Vineyards encompasses 65 acres in Rutherford near the Silverado Trail. Being on the east side of the valley, there is intense exposure that yields ripe and concentrated fruit. The area is hallowed ground for Cabernet Sauvignon however the McGah family has developed a one acre block with special soil preparation, site-specific Grenache and Mourvédre clones. The Heritage block was replanted in 2011 and the vines are trained traditionally in the Gobelet Method with tight spacing (4x8). It is slightly sloping benchland, so the soil is well drained with classic Rutherford red, dusty soil.
Whisky River Ranch - Pope Valley
Whisky River Ranch is a hidden gem located deep in Pope Valley on the back side of Howell Mountain and provides Sauvignon Blanc to some of the top projects in the Napa Valley. We source Sauvignon Blanc from a small 10 acre block which is managed by Renteria Vineyard Management. The Ranch’s vineyards sit at a mild elevation at 715 feet allowing for long and warm sunny afternoons and cool evenings perfect for maintaining the proper acidity for Sauvignon Blanc.