When Brice Cutrer Jones sold Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards in 1999, he could have retired. Instead, he bought Hallberg Ranch in Sebastopol and founded Emeritus Vineyards with a singular goal: create the finest Pinot Noir estate in California. More than two decades later, Forbes calls Emeritus “one of the Russian River most accomplished Pinot Noir producers” and Travel + Leisure named it a must-visit winery.

Built from scratch on a single belief

Brice Jones spent 25 years building Sonoma-Cutrer into one of the most respected Chardonnay producers in the United States. When he sold it in 1999, he turned his attention to Pinot Noir and purchased Hallberg Ranch, a site he and vineyard manager Kirk Lokka had coveted for years. They founded Emeritus with no intention of making Chardonnay — only Pinot Noir, only estate grown, and only dry farmed.

Dry farming is unusual in California. Most vineyards rely on irrigation to supplement the dry summer season. At Emeritus, the decision to dry farm forces vine roots to reach deep into the soil for moisture, producing grapes with natural concentration and complexity. Kirk Lokka — whose career included 23 years managing Sonoma-Cutrer’s 1,200 acres — oversaw the planting and management of both Hallberg Ranch and Pinot Hill. His son Riggs Lokka now serves as vineyard manager. Winemaker Keith Hammond, a Sebastopol native who has been with Emeritus since 2007, crafts wines that the team describes as elegant and restrained in the Burgundian tradition.

Emeritus is the largest dry-farmed Pinot Noir estate in Sonoma County — and possibly all of California — with over 140 acres split between Hallberg Ranch and Pinot Hill.

Hallberg Ranch and the Russian River Valley

Hallberg Ranch sits in the Sebastopol Hills, where morning fog from the Pacific Ocean rolls in daily through the Petaluma Gap and keeps temperatures cool well into the afternoon. This marine influence is the defining force in the Russian River Valley AVA: it extends the growing season, slows ripening, and allows Pinot Noir grapes to develop the acidity and aromatic complexity that define the region.

Emeritus also farms Pinot Hill, a second estate vineyard in the Sebastopol Hills. Together the two properties give the winery 140-plus acres of dry-farmed Pinot Noir spread across different blocks, aspects, and soil types. Single-block selections allow the winery to bottle the distinct character of each site separately, giving collectors and wine enthusiasts a range of expressions from one estate.

The wines: exclusively Pinot Noir

Emeritus produces nothing but Pinot Noir. No Chardonnay, no Zinfandel, no Sauvignon Blanc — just one grape, from two dry-farmed estate vineyards, across a range of bottlings from the approachable estate tier to the small-production single-block selections. The lineup changes with each vintage as the team identifies new blocks worthy of separate bottling.

The wines are available through the tasting room at Hallberg Ranch, the E-Club wine membership, and the winery online store. Appointments are recommended but not always required. The tasting room at Hallberg Ranch has earned recognition from USA Today as the number one winery tour in the United States.

What to pour with it

Estate Pinot Noir from Emeritus is a wine built for the dinner table. The dry farming and long cool-climate seasons produce fruit with depth and structure that can hold up to bold preparations without losing elegance. Pair with duck confit, roasted rack of lamb, wild mushroom risotto, braised short ribs of pork, or any preparation that brings together savory richness and earthy depth.

The tannins in Pinot Noir — especially in wines built for aging like the Emeritus single-block selections — grip protein and amplify savory flavors. The bright acidity that comes with Russian River Valley fruit refreshes the palate between bites, making each glass feel fresh rather than heavy. Shared earthy aromatic compounds between mushrooms and Pinot Noir make that classic pairing especially harmonious.

Emeritus Vineyards: common questions