Madson

About

Owner & winemaker: Cole Thomas
Vineyards: They farm leased parcels across 13 different vineyard sites (varying in size from 0.35 acres – 13.5 acres) in the Santa Cruz Mountains, plus one 90-acre site in Carmel Valley (Massa Vineyard), and one 22-acre site in Santa Rita Hills (Kessler Haak Vineyard)
Vineyard management: Practicing organic
Soils: Varies by site, with sandstone particularly prevalent in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Grapes grown: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Aligoté, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay

Quick facts:

• Founder Cole Thomas is the winemaker, and he is joined by Ken Swegles & Abbey Chrystal as viticulturists and partners, plus Tino Paccione as assistant winemaker.
• All of their vineyards are farmed with 100% organic practices, including using only ecologically-based pest controls and biological fertilizers including animal waste and nitrogen-fixing cover crops. Furthermore, they have adopted regenerative farming practices in order to care for the environment beyond the vineyards themselves.
• “At Madson, we believe that in order to produce great wines, one must understand the soils that lie beneath the vines and the climate that surrounds them. Only then can one understand the fruit, to make thoughtful decisions about farming and harvesting.” – Cole, Ken, and Abbey