A Living Legacy at The Scion House at Robert Young Winery
Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley is one of the most picturesque places in all of Wine Country. It’s chock full of large, sprawling vineyards full of long, flowing, beautiful vines. A visit in Spring or Summer is a special feast for the eyes as a veritable sea of green vines take over the rugged landscape. A dive into 400 acres of this vineyard ocean reveals a history of family farming unique to the Young Family.
Six generations of the Young Family have been farming their land in the Alexander Valley dating all the way back to 1858. In the early 1960’s, the winery’s namesake, Robert, was the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in the Valley and later created Chardonnay Clone 17 (Wente grafted to Dijon) – two choices that would go on to shape the then budding California wine industry. We all know that Cab is King in the United States, and the Young’s Cabernet has been sourced by and for some of the most iconic California producers in the region. Clone 17 Chardonnay – often simply referred to as “the Robert Young clone” is one of the most sought after for its consistent ability to produce excellent wine, especially in cooler climate regions. If you’ve had Chardonnay’s from California, it’s a safe bet you’ve likely had some Clone 17 in your glass.
Farmer’s first, the Young’s didn’t establish a working winery until Fred Young, with the help of his siblings, created Robert Young Estate Winery in 1997. 21 years later, after producing excellent wines bearing their family name, the Young’s opened the Scion House on their Alexander Valley property as a larger, more modern facility to host guests and this very thirsty blogger. And the Scion House is stunning – boasting small rooms to host intimate tastings, window perch seating that helps bring the outside in, and an expansive outdoor terrace that overlooks much of the Robert Young Estate vineyards. Warm woods mixed with native stones connect a sense of place in a tasting room that glows from a just off-center fireplace. No matter where you stand in the Scion House you’ll always have a view of the vineyards – a sort of homage to what’s built the Young’s legacy.
Of course, if you farm vineyards that some of the biggest and most respected names in wine are sourcing from, it stands to reason that you would want to make some wine yourself. It also stands to reason that you get the “first pick” of the grapes you want to use to make your wines. As such, the wines at Robert Young are phenomenal. You may not be a fan of Chardonnay, but one taste of the Clone 17 will change your mind – the 2016 Clone 17, which offers layers of red and green apple, poached pears, fresh cut vanilla bean, and brioche, made me a believer. The red wines are all special. The 2015 Merlot (which is 100% Merlot – rare to find these days) opened with red berry and floral aromatics on the bouquet and, perhaps the best way to describe this wine’s palate is to think back to the last time you had a bowl of ripe dark cherries and cross that with the last time you had a really great dark chocolate. The 2015 Big Rock Block Cabernet Sauvignon is a big, bold Cab – grippy tannins and a chewy mouthfeel are accented by a dense blackberry core. And the showstopper of the lot is the 2014 Scion – a Bordeaux style blend combining the noble five Bordeaux varietals – wafting of sweet, freshly rolled tobacco, cocoa powder, and cherry compote, it develops on the palate to express subtle dark chocolate, espresso, kirsch, and blackberries.
Getting out to the Scion House at the Robert Young Estate Winery will take you a few extra minutes of driving through gorgeous vineyards, and of course it’s well worth it. Geyserville by zip code, but maybe most accessible through Healdsburg, a visit to this dynamo is one you’ll want to make – and you may not want to leave once you get there.
Location: 5102 Red Winery Road, Geyserville (but just 15-20 minutes from downtown Healdsburg).
Highlights: Incredible views of the Alexander Valley; excellent family-run hospitality; the beautiful new Scion House; wines that you will not leave without.
Must try Wines: Clone 17 Chardonnay, Merlot, Scion, Bob’s Burn Pile (if you can get your hands on it).
Visit: Open Wednesday through Monday from 10:00AM – 4:30PM. No appointment necessary, but strongly encouraged. Book a tasting here or call 707.431.4811. Tasting experiences start at $25.
