Part of the experience of visiting Chateau St. Jean and enjoying our wines is an understanding of the unique history associated with them. Here, then, is our story and how we came to be Pure Sonoma.
Chateau St. Jean, with its gracious style, elegant architecture and inviting gardens and tasting
rooms, is the quintessential Sonoma winery. The winemaking estate is located at the foot of
Sugarloaf Ridge in the Sonoma Valley near Kenwood, California. Founded in 1973, Chateau St.
Jean has long been recognized as a leader in Vineyard Designated wines. Winemaker Margo
Van Staaveren uses her 30 years of vineyard and winemaking expertise with Chateau St. Jean
to highlight the best of each vineyard in the wines.
Our founders brought together the finest vineyards, the best equipment and a highly-talented
staff, creating wines that received immediate critical acclaim. "Only the finest" remains the
winery's credo. The winery was designed from the ground up to accommodate numerous lots
of grapes and keep them separate throughout the winemaking process. Since fine wines and
individual vineyards have been closely associated for centuries in Europe, the Chateau's
founders reasoned vineyard designation was equally valid in Sonoma County. Today, wines
from each special vineyard are bottled and marketed separately with the vineyard name on
the label. Chateau St. Jean offers vineyard-designated Chardonnays from the acclaimed
Robert Young, Belle Terre and Durell Vineyards as well as a Pinot Noir from Durell Vineyard
and Fumé Blanc from the La Petite étoile ("The Little Star") Vineyard and Lyon Vineyard.
In 1999, Chateau St. Jean was the first Sonoma winery to be awarded the prestigious
"Wine of the Year" award from the Wine Spectator Magazine for its 1996 Cinq Cépages
Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux-style blend of "five varieties." The winery received
high acclaim again when it received the "#2 Wine of the Year" from Wine Spectator for
its 1999 Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon.
In the summer of 2000, Chateau St. Jean winery opened the doors to its new Visitor
Center and gardens. In keeping with the Chateau architecture and sense of place, the
wine tasting and retail room is housed in an elegant garden structure surrounded on three
sides by terraces and outdoor garden spaces. Each of these garden "rooms" offers
intimate and unique areas for wine tasting, picnics and strolls. The statue of Jean, the
winery's namesake, stands in the main courtyard garden by the decorative fountain.
Visitors to Chateau St. Jean now enter a main courtyard surrounded by a lush garden.
Inspiration for the garden was based on the classic estate gardens of the Mediterranean,
as seen through the use of citrus-planted terracotta pots and the generous use of herbs
and flowers. The winery has integrated existing site features and vistas into a landscape
that is both relaxed and elegant to exemplify Sonoma wine country.
The Vineyards
Among California wineries, Chateau St. Jean is a pioneer in vineyard designation - making wine from, and naming it for, an outstanding single vineyard. Soon after its inception, the winery began producing individually labeled Chardonnays from the Robert Young and Belle Terre Vineyards and Fume Blanc from La Petite Etoile.
Sonoma County is a diverse growing region with a complex terrain of small valleys, benchlands
and hillsides. A coastal appellation, it is favored with fog in the morning and sunny afternoons
cooled by maritime breezes. From the cool Carneros area in the south to the more moderate
Russian River and Alexander Valleys further north, a wide variety of grapes can enjoy the
optimum climate to achieve rich varietal flavor.
Chateau St. Jean was a pioneer in vineyard designated wines in Sonoma County. Several of
the single vineyard wines it produces today - such as Robert Young Vineyard and Belle Terre
Vineyard Chardonnay - are examples that Chateau St. Jean has been making for over 30 years.
Here's a look at the key vineyard sources for the luxury wines
of Chateau St. Jean:
St. Jean Estate Vineyard - Sonoma Valley
The St. Jean Estate Vineyard surrounds the winery and tasting room in Kenwood. The
property consists of 270 acres with 90 planted acres of premium varieties. Chardonnay,
Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot are planted.
In select years, Chateau St. Jean produces a single vineyard Cabernet Franc, Malbec,
Merlot and Viognier from the vineyard. The Bordeaux varieties, Merlot, Malbec and
Cabernet Franc, also contribute to the winery's flagship wine - Cinq Cépages Cabernet
Sauvignon
La Petite Etoile Vineyard - Russian River Valley
La Petite Etoile Vineyard ("the little star") is a 44-acre parcel in the rolling hills of the
northern Russian River corridor. Lingering morning fog and afternoon maritime breezes
make this the perfect home for growing low-vigor Sauvignon Blanc and luscious Pinot Noir.
Chateau St. Jean began farming this vineyard in 1978 and purchased the vineyard in 1988.
The winery now produces both a La Petite Etoile Fumé Blanc and Pinot Noir.
Robert Young Vineyard - Alexander Valley
Tucked in a sheltered cove at the northern end of Alexander Valley, the Robert Young
Vineyard has a long history of growing superior wine grapes in its fine alluvial loam soils.
Robert Young saw an opportunity to custom tailor a Chardonnay clone that was best suited
for his vineyard site. Using the best selection from his original plantings of the Wente
clone, Robert Young had his "Robert Young Clone" certified in 1989. Chateau St. Jean
produces both a vineyard designated Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc from this famous vineyard.
Belle Terre Vineyard - Alexander Valley
For more than three decades, Belle Terre Vineyard has been synonymous with vineyard
designation at Chateau St. Jean and, without question it is one of the most consistent
and well-farmed vineyards in Sonoma. Belle Terre Vineyard, owned by the Dick Family, is
located on the Russian River in Southern Alexander Valley. Chateau St. Jean has produced
a Belle Terre Chardonnay since 1975. The terrain at Belle Terre consists of gently rolling
land with well-drained, gravelly and sandy loam soils. In addition to a vineyard designated
Chardonnay, Chateau St. Jean also crafts a Belle Terre Late Harvest Riesling and the
Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the vineyard contributes to Cinq Cépages.
Lyon Vineyard - Alexander Valley
The Lyon Vineyard is located in the most northern part of the Alexander Valley, adjacent
to the Russian River. Chateau St. Jean has a long term relationship with grower Mark
Lyon that dates back to 1980. Chateau St. Jean sources both Sauvignon Blanc and
Semillon from this vineyard. The 2006 vintage marked the inaugural release of Chateau
St. Jean's Lyon Vineyard Fumé Blanc.
Durell Vineyard - Sonoma Valley
Chateau St. Jean introduced a Durell Vineyard Chardonnay with the 1996 vintage but
had been working with this highly acclaimed vineyard since 1991. One of the characteristics
that makes this vineyard so intriguing year after year is that it does not exhibit typical
Carneros flavors. Durell Chardonnay always surprises with its big tropical fruit notes and
spicy perfume aromas. In addition to the vineyard designated Chardonnay, Chateau St.
Jean also produces a Durell Vineyard Pinot Noir and Syrah.
Benoist Ranch - Sonoma Coast
The Grace Benoist Ranch, located in the cool Sonoma Coast appellation, benefits from
the moderating influence of the San Pablo Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Chateau St. Jean
began making a Benoist Ranch Syrah with the 2004 vintage and a Benoist Ranch Pinot
Noir with the 2005 vintage.
Cold Creek Ranch - Sonoma Coast
The Cold Creek Ranch is tucked away in the coveted Sonoma Coast appellation where
maritime influences produce Chardonnay with forward fruit flavors and lively acidity.
This vineyard is the newest addition to the Chateau St. Jean portfolio of vineyard
designated wines; however, it has contributed to the Reserve Chardonnay program
for many years. The inaugural release from Cold Creek was the 2007 Chardonnay
which will be followed-up with a 2008 Pinot Gris.
Meet Our Winemaker
Margo Van Staaveren
2009 marked Margo Van Staaveren's 30th harvest at Chateau St. Jean. During her long tenure with the winery, Margo has played a pivotal role in every facet of the winemaking process. As winemaker, she makes the final decisions involving blend and style to produce consistently high quality wines in the super premium and luxury category.
Margo is a firm believer that great wines are grown - a conviction she shares with the Chateau founders who led the way for Chateau St. Jean to become a pioneer of vineyard designated wines in the early 1970s. To achieve Chateau St. Jean vineyard designation, the superior quality of the vineyards must be proven year after year and the grapes must consistently exhibit exceptional varietal character.
The art of blending is the cornerstone of Margo's winemaking philosophy. To her, one of the greatest accomplishments is to create a wine style or signature blend that carries from vintage to vintage while still capturing the uniqueness of that particular growing year.
One of the things she enjoys most about her job is putting together the final blend for the Reserve wines. "Since no two vintages are alike, it gives us the opportunity to carefully search for the vineyard lots that offer the biggest fruit expression and the ability to age in order to create a wine that truly captures the best of the vintage," says Margo. The Reserve wines represent the most concentrated, distinctive and balanced wines made at Chateau St. Jean.
