Laurel Glen

Laurel Glen Estates Patrick Campbell Sonoma Mountain, California, USA Laurel Glen Vineyards is a 16-acreestate set high atop the tiny Sonoma Mountain Viticultural Area (referred to in the United States as an AVA). These bucolic sloping hillsides were developed by Patrick Campbell in 1977 and planted entirely with Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyards themselves have a long storied past. Originally, they had been planted with mixed red varietals by German immigrants in the late 1880s. In 1968, Carmen Taylor, a vine grower, acquired the property. She planted the original Cabernet Sauvignon vines, which are still found on the property and are parents of the current clone of Cabernet used in Campbell’s wines, eponymously named Laurel Glen Cabernet. Even then, before anyone in California cared about terroir, the location and its Cabernet was recognized as something special. The vineyard was sold to Château St. Jean and designated a single vineyard wine. Patrick Campbell decided to expand the original 13 acres to 34 whe he purchased the property. He produced his first estate wine from the 1981 vintage; this was released in 1984. A man of principle and privacy, Campbell does not spend much time marketing Laurel Glen. Though one of the oldest, most classic of Cali Cabernet, he eschews cult status, does not court critics by sending samples and refuses to adapt his winemaking style to fashion. His wines define what a Sonoma Mountain Cabernet can be.