He began the Croix Estate concepting project in late 2009, leading up to the first vintage bottling in 2012, and overseeing the acquisition, renovation, and opening of our Russian River Valley winery site, now home to Croix Estate. Gratitude runs deep within my soul when I consider founding Croix Estate. Having unfettered participation in one of the most competitive segments of our industry is the opportunity of a lifetime.
Making Pinot Noir is no joke and neither is moving a vision from concept to reality. Once we settled on our core purpose, the heavy lifting began, drafting all elements of my experience to the project, breathing life into an aesthetic that is worthy of the phenomenal wines we are producing from Sonoma County. Having had the great fortune of experiencing planet Earth through scuba, surf, golf, and an unquenchable thirst for travel, I meditated on the aesthetic aspects of those experiences that manifest joy and tranquility in life. In Fiji, Roatan, Palau, Tahiti, and the Maldives, as an example, I found nature and the ocean to be raw and untouched, yet here my father and I were travelling via first class liveaboard, enjoying five dives a day, exploring terrain unspoiled by humans, while experiencing accommodations at the highest levels of service and perfection. These were stunning experiences that have informed all my endeavors in life. So, naturally, rustic luxury became the centering point from which brand, story, property, and winemaking started and is found today in all that is Croix Estate.
