RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
&
SONOMA MOUNTAIN
Family-farmed, Native-ferment,Women-made Wines
I am super excited that the Sonoma Editor of Wine Enthusiast magazine, Tom R. Capo, reviewed my wines -- some of the first wines that I made entirely as the winemaker, after Greg stepped away -- and awarded them the following scores:
Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, 2023 93 points, Hidden Gem
Chardonnay, Siebert Ranch, 2023 96 points, Editor's Choice
Chardonnay, "Praxilla" reserve, 2023 94 points
Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, 2023 92 points
Pinot Noir, Siebert Ranch, 2023 94 points
Pinot Noir, Gunsalus Vineyard, 2023 95 points
Pinot Noir, "Alcman" reserve, 2023 97 points, Editor's Choice
Pinot Meunier, Van der Kamp Vineyard, 2024 92 points, Hidden Gem
-Melissa Moholt-Siebert, winemaker
WELCOME TO ANCIENT OAK CELLARS!
Ancient Oak Cellars began with a family farm in 1956, became a vineyard, and in the third generation, a winery. Grapes had been planted on our home property, Siebert Ranch, a century earlier, before prohibition. And during all that time, and for more than a century before that, the Ancient Oak presided in the center of it all, as it does today.
Our wines are like wild horses tamed by an expert trainer, not tame wines. They are noted for their full-throttle flavors, mouth-watering textures, and even feral notes. We take great risks to create these wines both in vineyard and in cellar, but because we have long experience, we live in the vineyard, do our own farming and monitor our wild-yeast fermentations very closely, we dare make wines at the exquisite edge of abandon.
RESERVE WINES
Tò Érgon
Tò Érgon means, “the work, the deed.” This quintessential mountain Cabernet with intensely dark color, an alluring bramble character, and concentration in the mid-palate. A broad-shouldered, rich, muscular wine.
Sappho
Sappho is named after the great lyric Greek poet recognized for the intensity and intimacy of her verse. Sappho has a tannic structure that stands up to any big bold red and yet a seductive sensuousness that is utterly compelling.
Alcaeus
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ABOUT US
Anticipating a special moment? There’s no better way to celebrate a special occasion than by serving an extraordinary and unique wine. When you care about people personally , you want to share a wine that was made by hand, in small lots, with the personal touch of the winemaker and vigneron. That is what we do.
Ancient Oak Cellars is a hands-on operation. You will find Ken out in the vineyard doing the tractor work and Melissa one day managing incoming supplies to the winery and the next on the road meeting sommeliers and conducting wine dinners, and somehow fitting hands-on, native-yeast winemaking into all of that! So our wines are indeed hand made, and show it, with character that cannot be accomplished otherwise.
While our wines are necessarily allocated, members of our Wine Club and Allocation List have first access to new releases, to certain reserve wines not offered to the public, and to special library and vertical offerings only offered to club members.
