
We currently farm a total of 240 acres across three different vineyards in Paso Robles and Edna Valley, and make all our wine in our LEED Certified Winery at Heart Hill Vineyard. We are known for our estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as well as our flagship blend Fog Catcher; however, we grow a wide range of varietals and specialize in small lot bottlings that we allocate primarily to our Wine Club Members.
After growing up on a farm in West Virginia, Richard Niner spent his career building small businesses across a wide variety of industries. One of his business ventures brought him to Paso Robles in the early 1990s and he was immediately drawn to the potential of both the land and the people who lived here. After a long search, Richard and Pam purchased their first vineyard, Bootjack Ranch, in 2001 and spent the next decade building a tasting room and winery, finding and planting two additional vineyards, and assembling the current team. In 2013 they retired and their son Andy took over the day-to-day management of the business.
We are passionate about sharing our wines with our customers in every aspect of any experience. The Central Coast of California is truly a spectacular place, and we host winery tours, seasonally inspired lunch service and a variety of fun and creative dinners designed to showcase it.
We believe that good people are the key to a memorable experience, so all our events are designed to be interactive and educational. Our Chef might decide to teach you how to shuck fresh oysters during a class; our Winemaker may lead a blending seminar with his favorite barrels; our Vineyard Manager might take you to the top of Heart Hill to geek out about rootstock. Regardless, our goal is to have guests walk away loving this place as much as we do.
Niner Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec.
2021 was a benchmark vintage for Cabernet in Paso Robles. The long, cool growing season was ideal for our Bordeaux grapes and allowed them to slowly ripen, creating complex flavors and wines built to age. The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon was aged 21 months in French Oak barrels and is one that you’ll want for your collection. It is an elegant wine with a balance of dark fruit flavors and herbaceous notes with lush tannins.
Review:
92 points, Editor's Choice - Wine Enthusiast
Jonive Chardonnay Russian River Valley is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
2021 Jonive Russian River Estate Chardonnay: Harvested the night of September 20th with the two clones kept separate. The clone 95 was pressed into tank where it was chilled, settled and racked, then allowed to ferment naturally for 12 days when it then went to barrel. The primary and secondary fermentations lasted in barrel until April 20th, some seven months. The wine remained on its original lees until just prior to bottling. The clone 17/Robert Young chardonnay was pressed into tank and allowed to brown naturally before a natural fermentation occurred. This lasted for 15 days before going to barrel where it finished the last 12 days of primary fermentation and six weeks of secondary fermentation and it too rested on its original lees until just prior to bottling.
The wine has a typical straw color and complex aromas of lemongrass, nutmeg, Meyer lemon and a touch of passionfruit. It has an enveloping mouthfeel that is at once tart and linear as well as rich and expansive, a very unusual and beguiling combination of textures and mouthfeel. The browning of the clone 17 enables the wine to be rich, but at a lower alcohol (13.3%) and the clone 95 contributes beautifully fresh acidity. The pallet shows jasmine, honeydew melon, tarragon and lemongrass with a nice kiss of high-quality French oak. The extended lees contact gives the wine amazing length, energy and vitality.
353 cases produced
Harvested September 20th
14-month barrel aging in 67% new French oak barrels, 20% once used and 13% neutral
61% clone 17/Robert Young and 39% clone 95
13.3% alcohol
Bottled December 14th
Reviews:
A wildly elegant aromatic profile announces this Chardonnay from Jonive's estate vineyards, a combination of two separately fermented clones, 95 and clone 17, also known as Robert Young. The blend is beautiful and effusively aromatic. Lemon cream and white flowers mark the aromatic profile, and the palate, crafted with plenty of lees contact, shows a creamy texture of lemon and orange oils. Savoury notes of sorrel and lemongrass mark the lengthy finish. The new French oak kisses this wine just a touch with a note of Madagascar vanilla on the finish.
-Decanter 94 Points
This seamless, smooth and mouthfilling wine is packed with ripe fruit flavors and deftly accented with oak notes like vanilla, hazelnut and toast. It's rich in texture yet relatively light in body, encouraging flavors that mingle with a subtlety that asks for more sipping.
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points