Vineyards
With elevations of 500’ to over 700’, the land is perfectly suited to grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot to Sauvignon Blanc, vines that thrive in the Napa Valley climate. For over 15 years, the Lambs have worked to build the vineyard and its surrounding land into the property you see today. The Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc grapes are sold to Caymus, an iconic Napa winery owned by the Wagner Family.
Vineyard Map
Vineyard Manager: Piña Vineyard Management
Grape Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon
This is the predominant varietal at Cordero Vineyards. There are several clones including 07, 337, 169 and 04. These vines produce high quality grapes used in one of the most popular, opulent wines in Napa.
Sauvignon Blanc
The Lamb Family has 3 acres planted with the Muscat clone of Sauvignon Blanc, one of the oldest domesticated grape varieties. It is used in the top White Bordeaux (Sauternes) and great Loire Valley wines (Sancerre).
Chardonnay
This is a boutique vineyard of just 110 vines of Clone 04 Chardonnay near the lower portion of the vineyard to test these vines in the Wooden Valley microclimate.
Petit Verdot
Cordero Vineyards has a little over 1500 vines of PV in our hillside vineyard. This varietal has seen increasingly popularity in climates such as Wooden Valley. Although the grape was historically known as a blending grape for fine Bordeaux wines, it can make intensely bold, fruity yet floral red wines on their own.
Cordero Vineyards has recently introduced beehives to the property, where they plan to extract fresh honey throughout each upcoming season. As an added bonus, the bees pollinate the crops as they gather nectar, in turn helping the vines to be more viable and efficiently return nutrients to the soil.
In addition to these grape varieties, Cordero Vineyards also has over 100 Tuscan Cultivars, Leccino and Frantoio olive trees, that are harvested and pressed each November at the Il Fiorello milling facility in Fairfield to produce our own artisan Olive Oil.
Sustainability
Soil Management
Soil management includes planting covercrops to improve soil nutrients, applying compost from Recology that also increase soil nutrients and promote microbial activity, and periodic soil tests and analysis.
Pest Management
Natural pest management strategies to control rodents and insects include encouraging predators with owl and bluebird boxes. No pesticides are used on property.
Weed Management
Mechanical weed control is used in place of herbicides. This includes in-row discing and hand shoveling. Covercrops and compost also contribute to the reduction of weeds.
Rotational Grazing
Sheep are brought on each spring from Napa Pasture Protein to "mow" the grass in the vineyards before bud break, add carbon into the soil and keep surrounding hillsides free of tall grass. Cattle from the Lauritsen Ranch are also brought on property from Spring - Fall to further mitigate wild fire risk.
Renewables and Electrification
PV panels with battery backup provide power to EV vehicles, structures, and weather stations. A Monarch EV tractor is being piloted for various applications including mowing, harvesting, and compost spreading in the vineyards.
Accountability
Cordero Vineyards is in it's second year of California Sustainable Winegrowers Alliance (CSWA) certification. This began with an assessment of current practices and plans to drive improvements in year one. Continued participation in the program with action plans forces accountability and a drive to challenge and reduce GHG emissions year on year.
Longevity
To keep this small family farm viable for future generations, Cordero Vineyards and Lost Valley Ranch Wines joined Save the Family Farms, an organization dedicated to preserve Napa Valley's small family farm heritage through supporting micro-producers and responsible land stewardship.