Matt Courtney and David Wherritt founded Ferren, a Sonoma Coast winery, in 2013, after an eight-year apprenticeship with the famous Helen Turley of Marcassin. Ferren is dedicated to producing tiny artisanal lots (only 575 cases annually) of single vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Ferren has chosen the following three vineyards for their ability to express true Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
- Silver Eagle Vineyard was planted by the legendary, knowledgeable and passionate vineyard manager Ulises Valdez who passed away at an early age in 2018. A highly respected man and a great loss in the wine industry.
Silver Eagle is located in the The Stoetz Ridge, a land mass that separates the Sonoma Coast from the Russian River Valley, allowing for a unique assemblage of climate; the vineyard experiences both cool ocean breezes from the Pacific and the warmth of the interior valley.
- Lancel Creek Vineyard is a secluded two-acre site above the tiny hamlet of Occidental with pale Goldridge soil and densely planted vines. This vineyard was planted by Ulises Valdez and faces the Pacific, which is only five miles away.
- Frei Vineyard is near the village of Graton in the hills south of the Russian River Valley. Farmed by the Martinelli family for generations and currently tended by George Martinello, Frei Vineyard offers a mild climate and Goldridge soils.
Matt Courtney, Ferren’s winemaker, uses traditional Burgundian methods without fining or filtration and fermentation is carried out exclusively by native flora from the grape’s vineyard of origin.
