With the recent release of our stunning 2022 Nightwing Vineyard Chardonnay, I thought I would share some thoughts about our extraordinary estate vineyard in the Petaluma Gap appellation (AVA). In 2013, when I was named MacRostie’s winemaker, one of the most important things I was asked to accomplish was to establish a vineyard program that would equal the finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producers in California. Over the past decade, we have done just that, building relationships with growers who farm renowned sites in the Russian River Valley, Green Valley, Fort Ross-Seaview, Redwood Valley, Anderson Valley, Santa Maria Valley, and the Petaluma Gap.

Many of you may not know the Petaluma Gap, which is not surprising, since it only earned official recognition as a winegrowing AVA in 2017. While the AVA may be new, among winemakers like me who focus on cool-climate grapes, it is viewed as one of California’s top regions for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and it is a region I have worked with for many years. Home to such famed vineyards as Gap’s Crown, the Petaluma Gap benefits from a wind gap in the coastal mountain range that funnels cooling breezes and fog east from the Pacific Ocean through Petaluma and south to San Pablo Bay. These persistent afternoon breezes result in lower yields and generous hangtimes, enabling flavors and fruit characteristics to fully develop while creating beautifully balanced wines of uncommon depth and distinction.

In 2017, MacRostie’s founder, Steve MacRostie, and I took a road trip to a remarkable unplanted piece of land in the mountainous on the eastern edge of the Petaluma Gap. While we both immediately saw the incredible untapped potential of the site, developing and planting our Nightwing Estate Vineyard, and realizing that potential, took several years. When designing Nightwing, which features elevations ranging from 1,100 to 1,400 feet, as well as numerous exposures and soil types, Steve and I personally selected all seven of the rootstocks, along with our favorite nine clones of Chardonnay and nine clones of Pinot Noir. To ensure the highest quality, we largely planted Nightwing’s Pinot Noir above the fog line, with the Chardonnay at lower elevations where it benefits most from the cooling influence of the fog.

Today, Nightwing Estate is a majestic 74-acre vineyard, planted as a mosaic of 35 blocks featuring 44 acres of Pinot Noir and 30 acres of Chardonnay. Working with Steve to establish Nightwing has been one of the proudest accomplishments of my career. To be able to sculpt this stunning site from the ground up was a remarkable opportunity to apply everything that we have learned about cool-climate viticulture since MacRostie’s founding in 1987.

To say that the early wines from Nightwing have exceeded our expectations would be an understatement. Since the debut 2020 vintage of our MacRostie Nightwing Vineyard Chardonnay and the inaugural 2021 vintage of our Nightwing Vineyard Pinot Noir, both wines have garnered rave reviews and more than ten scores of 92 to 95 points—a stunning accomplishment for such a young vineyard. What’s even more exciting is that, as the vines continue to mature and we become even more knowledgeable about Nightwing’s sweet spots, the wines will only get better, with even more nuance and complexity. If you haven’t already discovered Nightwing, I invite you to try our 2022 Nightwing Vineyard Chardonnay, which has already earned a glowing 94-point review from Wine Enthusiast. With its orange blossom aromas and luxurious layers of pear, apple, apricot, and minerality, it is a delicious wine that seamlessly balances richness and energy. It is also a perfect wine for the warm days and long, relaxing nights of summer.

About the Name Nightwing

Nightwing Vineyard was named in honor of Vernon Morelli, the property’s original owner and a WWII pilot who built a landing strip on the site. We also selected the name as a nod to the Petaluma Gap’s many indigenous birds. There are over 200 species of birds native to the Sonoma region, and some migrate in huge flocks at night. While we serve as caretakers of the vineyard by day, the name Nightwing acknowledges the many birds who watch over the land after dark, including the majestic Night Heron.

HEIDI BRIDENHAGEN
Winemaker – MacRostie Winery and Vineyards