Over the past three decades, MacRostie Winery and Vineyards has established itself as one of the Sonoma Coast of California’s defining wineries, and a leader in a bright, balanced and age-worthy style of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Today, MacRostie is guided jointly by winery founder Steve MacRostie and the talented up-and-coming winemaker, Heidi Bridenhagen, who together are making the finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir bottlings in the winery’s storied history.
Using grapes farmed by legendary winegrowing families — including the Duttons, Sangiacomos, Martinellis and Bacigalupis — as well as from MacRostie’s own Wildcat Mountain Vineyard, the Sonoma Coast wines from MacRostie have established themselves as benchmarks, offering a rare intersection between labor-intensive small-lot winemaking and the complexity that can be achieved only by working with the finest vineyards.
And now, there is a new place where wine drinkers can learn about and savor these special wines: the MacRostie Estate House in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley.
The unveiling of the Estate House is the culmination of a long-time dream for MacRostie, who founded his winery in 1987. Many are saying that it sets a new standard, bringing something elevated, new and gorgeous to Russian River Valley wine country.
To achieve their vision, MacRostie and his team sought out three of the most creative and acclaimed firms in the business: Gould Evans for architecture, Roche+Roche for landscape architecture, and Grant K. Gibson for interior design. Because they were able to create the Estate House from the ground up, every detail was thoughtfully considered. Both aesthetically and experientially, the MacRostie Estate House is warm, welcoming and beautifully open in its design.
Located just five minutes from the Healdsburg Square, on a picturesque hillside, the Estate House is surrounded by beautiful vineyards and meadows. This setting was a key inspiration for Gould Evans, providing a backdrop for the gracefully modern architecture.
The Estate House features multiple indoor venues for seated wine tastings, and three expansive patio terraces with beautiful valley and vineyard views. The 20-acre property also includes a 13-acre estate Pinot Noir vineyard (named Thale’s Vineyard, after MacRostie’s wife) and a winery designed exclusively for fermenting Pinot Noir in very small one-ton lots.
In a given vintage, it is not uncommon for MacRostie to do as many as 130 individual fermentations of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a focus on Pinot. This keeps different vineyards, blocks and clones separate. While this is an incredible amount of work, when it comes time for blending, it gives Bridenhagen and MacRostie an amazing palette of flavors with which to work.
This diversity has also allowed MacRostie Winery to enhance its portfolio, adding a Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as a handful of sought-after vineyard-designate wines from throughout the Sonoma Coast.
And now, with its numerous indoor and outdoor venues, and multiple seated tasting flight options, the MacRostie Estate House offers an array of experiences and environments for enjoying those wines.
While each area has its own aesthetic, the overall design combines modern elegance with the inviting character of beautifully grained woods, richly hued leathers, abundant glass and gorgeous landscaping that incorporates MacRostie’s Scottish thistle motif. The Estate House will also offer numerous special visitor experiences throughout the year, including barrel samplings, rotational tastings and interactive “roll up your sleeves” educational programs, all of which will begin in the months ahead.
• MacRostie Estate House is located at 4605 Westside Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448. Guests are welcome daily from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., and all tasting experiences are seated, with reservations recommended. Call 707-996-4480 for reservations and directions.
