The Donum Estate
The Donum Estate is both a place and a unique project.
In fact, it's three places. Donum Ranch is a 147-acre property with 45 acres devoted to vines located on gently rolling hills that rise up from San Pablo Bay in Carneros. To the northeast in the Russian River Valley lies the 16-acre Nugent Vineyard, and further north, our 11-acre Anderson Valley vineyard.
We farm all three vineyards, which provide superlative estate grown fruit for our "ultimate Pinot Noir project." Based on a Burgundian grand cru model, our program's goal is to produce the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay possible
Stemmler Wines
Our wines bear Robert Stemmler's name because he was an early and passionate producer of California Pinot Noir and a friend of the Racke family.
After making wine in his native Germany, Robert arrived in Napa Valley in 1961, working with the Mondavi brothers at Charles Krug Winery, then becoming winemaker at Sonoma County's historic Simi Winery. In 1976, he opened his eponymous winery, and in 1982 released his first Pinot Noir to critical acclaim. Meanwhile, in 1981, Anne Moller-Racke arrived from Germany to work at the family's Buena Vista Winery. They soon became friends.
After promoting Pinot Noir nationwide, Robert retired in 1989, and the Racke family purchased his label. When Anne launched an "ultimate Pinot Noir project" at The Donum Estate in 2001, Stemmler wines became Donum's sister brand, sharing estate grown fruit and an uncompromising commitment to quality.
