Ann Kraemer planted vines at her property on Shake Ridge starting in 2003. The Ranch is on very steep undulating hills a few miles east from Sutter Creek, in Amador County, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Shake Ridge features some 42 acres of wine grapes in numerous blocks, each of which has its own unique combination of slope, exposure, aspect and soil mix. Soils at the property consist of well-drained loams on a base that ranges from quartz and soapstone to shale and, here and there, a bit of granite.
Ann farms the blocks at Shake Ridge with the devotion of a monk, and the hand of an artist; her work is meticulous, and the grapes her vines yield are among the finest with which we’ve ever had the opportunity to work.
We make one wine from Shake Ridge at this time; it’s a blend of Grenache, Tempranillo, Mourvedre, and Graciano. The proportions will vary, from year to year, as we attempt to zero in on the most compelling combination.
We call that wine El Jaléo.