The Tasting Panel magazine

I n 1977, Ed Durell bought 500 acres of cattle land at the confl uence of what are now the Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Coast and Carneros appellations, with his eye on 150 acres dedicated to wine grapes. It would be 19 years later that William Price III—hence the nickname "Billy Three Sticks"— purchased the vineyard property that has become known for grapes considered best in class and wines best in glass. According to Vineyard Manager Steve Hill, Durell Vineyards (the property is offi cially referred to in the plu- ral) receives every gift from nature that could benefi t its renowned fruit. "South of us can get too cool sometimes," Hill advises, as we drive up and down the scenic slopes of Durell on a sun-drenched mid-summer day. "But here, it's temperate, and from this moderate climate we can be selective. Our fruit ripens under infl uences from San Pablo Bay," he says, pointing south, "as the valley fi lls with cool air in the morn- ing, to the afternoon wind from the ocean," he points to the west, "and the nearby Petaluma Gap." Hill is the only vineyard manager and general manager Durell Vineyards has ever known, and like the prestigious property, he celebrated his 30th anniversary this year. "I love the land—managing the crop's growth every year and seeing it go to market, made into the great wines that bear its name, tasting the wines and knowing we had something to do with it. It's all very fulfi lling." While Durell covers just over 150 planted acres, Bill Price has started his own Three Sticks label at this enduring site, utilizing only one percent of the acreage while sell- ing under contract to more than 28 other wineries—high- end names such as Kistler (which he partly owns), Patz & Hall, Saxon Brown, Lioco, Chateau St. Jean, Pali and TOR, among others. Price keeps tight restrictions when it comes to granting permission for the designate to appear on a winery's label. Hill, farmer, vineyard manager and proprietor of his own label, Parmelee-Hill, has not grown weary over these 30 years. "I have a special spot in my heart for all the wine- makers whose fruit is born from Durell and who share the respect that Bill Price and I have for this land," Hill offers. Winemakers are like artists, sculptors or painters; where musicians touch the sense of hearing and painters touch the sense of sight, winemakers touch the sense of smell and taste of those who enjoy their wines. Many have said that the wines made off the Durell Vineyards are the best they've ever had; that makes us proud, and it also keeps us going. We're not selling a commodity; we're selling an experience, and it's our job to keep this beautiful property sustainable and the best it can be." Three Sticks Three Sticks may be named after Bill Price's childhood nickname, but there are also three major assets in the small winery's favor: The fruit is sourced from one of nature's Durell september 2009 / the tasting panel / 41 Durell's Vineyard Manager Steve Hill—walking the scenic property with THE TASTING PANEL'S Meridith May—has been the caretaker of this land since its inception in 1979. The vineyards lie in the southwestern hills of Sonoma Valley, stretching across three separate AVAs: Sonoma Valley, So- noma Coast and Carneros. In the southern portion of Sonoma County, there exists a vineyard that has made a reputation over three decades, producing such stellar fruit that winemakers from throughout California go to great lengths to feature its name on their labels by Meridith May / photos by Ryan Lely

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