Akiko Freeman, Owner/Winemaker
Ken Freeman, Owner
Freeman Vineyard & Winery was founded by Ken and Akiko Freeman in 2001, but the seed was planted 16 years earlier. Those who have visited Freeman’s picturesque winery in the Russian River Valley often ask about the keystone engraved with the date September 28, 1985, which crowns the entrance to the wine cave. The answer recalls a moment that is at the heart of the Freeman story.
In 1985, while crewing a yacht on its way to the Caribbean, Ken was forced by Hurricane Gloria to head to port near his hometown of Scarsdale, N.Y., where a friend happened to be hosting a lively party. Amidst the jeans and t-shirts of the storm-bound revelers, Ken saw Akiko, newly arrived in the United States from Japan and beautifully attired in a Chanel dress. He was smitten. The date was September 28, 1985.
While the couple was initially brought together by a hurricane, they were also bound by a shared passion for refined, cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Driven by the firm belief that California is capable of producing wines every bit as complex and compelling as those of Burgundy, they explored more than 300 properties before choosing a site on which to build their dream. Their search ultimately led them to western Sonoma County, with its steep hillside terrain and cooling ocean breezes.
From the first vintage, the Freeman style went against convention. While others pushed the limits of ripeness, Akiko and consulting winemaker Ed Kurtzman sought balance and refinement. Today, the winery is defined by those same pursuits, with Akiko at the helm as winemaker, and Freeman is recognized internationally as one of California's most acclaimed small producers.
Central to the ethos of Freeman Winery is the importance of estate vineyards that are farmed organically and using regenerative farming practices. Gloria Vineyard is the estate vineyard adjacent to the winery. The Freemans acquired the property, an old apple orchard, in 2005 and began planting 8 acres of Pinot Noir in 6 blocks, planted to Akiko’s favorite clones, including Swan, Pommard, 115, La Tache and two Calera clones. Sitting in the Green Valley of Russian River Valley appellation, 11 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Gloria possesses all the attributes that make the region ideal for Pinot Noir: a steep hillside for optimal drainage, Goldridge sandy loam soils, and a climate that is sunny but unusually cool, moderated by the daily ebb and flow of Russian River Valley fog.
The Yu-Ki Vineyard (Yu-Ki means “big tree” in Japanese), an old sheep farm in Occidental, was acquired by the Freemans in 2007, and is completely surrounded by majestic redwood trees. The 14 acres of vines now on the property were previously an open landscape for sheep grazing; not a single tree was cut down in the planting of the vineyard. Indeed, the Freemans donated 22 acres of the property to the Bodega Land Trust, for future preservation. Yu-Ki sits 4 miles away from the Pacific Ocean, at an elevation of 1000 feet, in the West Sonoma Coast appellation. The terrain is steep and rugged, and the climate is cold and windy. The extreme weather in this location results in very low yields of just 1 to 2 tons per acre. Like Gloria, Yu-Ki Vineyard has been farmed organically since day one.
A third estate vineyard site will be coming soon, an old apple orchard, planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (and a little Riesling), in the West Sebastopol Hills.
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