Sixteen 600 (Phil Coturri)

Sonoma, California, USA

If you ask him, Winery Sixteen 600’s winemaker Phil Coturri might quote a Levon Helm song and describe himself as a “poor old dirt farmer.” However, after over 40 years pioneering organic and biodynamic wine-growing in California, descriptions of him range from “famed organic viticulturalist” by the Hollywood Reporter to “the ubiquitous wizard of sustainable winemaking” by Sonoma Magazine. He was born with the cultural palate of Italian immigrants, weaned on the music and ethos of San Francisco in the 1960s and planted deep into the rocky hillsides of Sonoma Valley.

Sixteen 600 believes that the pursuit of premium wine begins with a vibrant, healthy vineyard ecosystem that allows vines to flourish and grapes to show the individuality of the terroir. In the decades since growing his first organic vineyard, Phil has proven that not only are organic farming practices better for the farmers and the environment, but they also produce better wine. The grapes used for Winery Sixteen 600 are all certified organic or biodynamic. No chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides are ever applied. Dense cover crops and insectuaries promote biodiversity and enrich the rocky soils with vital nutrients. Part of Phil Coturri's success with his wine comes from his lean rocky soil. He does not believe in fertilizing the grapes with any type of bagged fertilizer, even organic ones. He feels it promotes fast growth which makes the plants more susceptible to insects and diseases and compromises the flavors of the wine. Instead of using fertilizers, Phil uses cover crops. Most of the grapes Phil tends are on steep hillsides that have been terraced. In new fields, Phil plants a mixture of plants to establish a permanent nitrogen-fixing cover, which also helps to minimize erosion. Yields are kept low, and vines are hand-worked and watered minimally. The result is a ripe, rich, vibrantly flavored, full-bodied wine that allows the varietals and the region to shine.

Phil was instrumental in the 2013 approval of Moon Mountain District American Viticultural Area (AVA). The AVA is basically a crater of dormant volcano, which sits above and to the east of Sonoma Valley. It's a rocky terrain with shallow soils and only about 1,500 acres of vines planted.

The unique logo and label artwork is done by famed psychedelic artist Stanley Mouse whose work adorns the covers of albums by the Grateful Dead, Journey, and Styx, as well as rock posters for Eric Clapton, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, 13th Floor Elevators and numerous others.

Meet Phil in a short YouTube video here.

Website

Our Selections

Sixteen 600 Cabernet Sauvignon Severson Sonoma Valley 2018

The Vineyard: The tiny Severson Vineyard is one of the few Valley floor vineyards Phil Coturri farms. In fact, there are a few exceptional Cabernet vineyards in this part of the valley where the deep lush soils typical of this fertile area give way to a rocky, gravely alluvial fan, what Phil calls Sonoma’s Left Bank. The vineyard is located in the southwest end of the valley, an area without protection from the Sonoma or Mayacamas mountain ranges known for cool, windy nights but long, hot Summer days that allow the grapes to ripen.

The Vintage: The early spring bud break threatened calamity that never came. A benign, even benevolent growing season with a temperate summer and long cool fall coupled with large yields for extended hang time and ripe, balanced flavor development.

Tasting Notes: Well-drained soils kept the roots of the Cabernet dry and allowed the fruit to ripen in the weeks after mid-October rain. However, through the cooler October nights and shorter days, the ripe flavors kept an austerity that balances the wine. Almost two years in neutral oak barrels allowed for slow aging and helped mellow the tannins while retaining the singularity of the terroir. The wine is both rich and intense with a fleeting lightness across the finish. A bouquet of flinty, tobacco aroma gives way to flavors of dark fruit built on well-structured tannins and gravelly minerality.

Certified organic from rocky, alluvial soils. Fermented in open top stainless steel. Three day cold soak, native yeast fermentation and a 21 day maceration. Aged 22 months in neutral oak barrels. 14.5% Alc., 3.61 pH - 200cs made.

Sixteen 600 Rossi Hommage Blanc Sonoma Valley 2018

The Vineyard: The Rossi Ranch is steeped in Sonoma Valley history. Originally planted in 1910 by the Rossi Family, Rossi Ranch has provided grapes for a long and distinguished list of Sonoma wineries. The vineyard straddles the rolling hills between Kenwood and Bennett Valley and is comprised of well-drained variable volcanic soils, notably red soils laced with light volcanic ash and obsidian and other volcanic rock.

Tasting Notes (as reviewed by Jeb Dunnuck): A blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Roussanne, the 2018 Rossi Hommage Blanc is a beautiful, rich, textured white loaded with notions of white peach, ripe lemon, and flowers. It's ripe, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and has a great finish. 91-93 points.

Certified organic from volcanic soils at an elevation of 300’. Whole cluster press, fermented in barrel with partial maloloactic fermentation. Aged eight months in neutral oak. 14. 1% Alc., 3.35 pH. 400cs made.

Sixteen 600 Grenache North Coast 2018

The Vineyards: The largest grape crop in the history of the state of California, Grenache over-delivered in every way in 2018. The lions share of this wine comes from the Steel Plow Vineyard on a gravelly alluvial fan in the north end of Sonoma Valley where cool wind and fog blow down from the Santa Rosa Plain. We harvested our last Grenache November 5th, 2018. The rest of the blend is made from excess Á Deux Têtes Grenache (our Philippe Cambie collaboration) sourced from the historic Rossi Ranch in Sonoma Valley and Oakville Ranch Vineyard in Napa Valley.

Tasting Notes: Classically styled Grenache in every sense. In the glass, the wine glows with a rich yet translucent garnet color. Aromas of Bing cherry and star anise emerge as the wine opens, while tart cherry and dried strawberry dominate the front of the palate. Philippe Cambie sought black licorice in all his Grenache projects, which in this wine presents in the mid-palate before being enveloped in ripe, dense tannins.

From organic North Coast vineyards of volcanic and alluvial soils ranging from the valley floor to over 800' in elevation. The wine saw an extended cold soak before native yeast fermentation. After fermentation, the wine rested in 90 % neutral oak and 10% new puncheons. 14% Alc. Only 400cs produced

Sixteen 600 Mixed Whites Sonoma County 2021 (Canned Wine)

Phil’s annual Earth Day social media post is always something like "Farming everyday like its Earth Day since 1979." It's a challenge and reminder—celebrating Earth Day only matters if you back it up the other 364.

The primary goal of Sixteen 600’s organic farming has always been to build the health of the ecosystem in and around the vineyards, as such they always look for ways to reduce their environmental impact. Taking that same approach in the winery, the quest for both radical and incremental changes, led them to the aluminum can. Short of taking a paper straw straight to a barrel, there is no environmentally perfect wine vessel, but cans cut down on shipping weight without sacrificing recyclability. Putting a small portion of their wines in to cans instead of glass bottles is one way we can all live every day like its Earth Day.

This is a co-fermented blend of 70% Rossi Ranch Roussanne and 15% Semillon and 15% Grenache Blanc from Coco Bean Vineyard. Medium-textured white with lovely floral and white plum aromas. Perfect for picnics.

Sixteen 600 Zinfandel Sonoma Valley 2019

The Vineyards: The 2019 Sonoma Valley Zinfandel is sourced from three certified organic vineyards, all farmed by Phil Coturri and Enterprise Vineyards. The vineyards offer a juxtaposition of Sonoma Mountain and Moon Mountain appellations including the Dos Limones Vineyard, the Buschera Vineyard and the Sixteen 600 Estate.

The Vintage: 2019 was notable for an exceptionally rainy winter and cool, wet spring. Soil moisture was high and vines grew vigorously. We didn’t irrigate until late summer. Summer and fall temperatures stayed moderate until late September, slowing the ripening curve to allow for full phenolic development.

Tasting Notes: Classic, old school, Sonoma zinfandel—forward fruit balanced by acidity and structure. In the glass a vibrant ruby color leads to aromas of black cherry, white pepper, and baking spices. The rounded tannins evolve as the wine opens balanced by notable acidity. Well defined notes of brambly red fruit make up this succulent wine along with peppery spice notes. The overall flavor profile is very linear and has a subtle but lasting finish.

Certified organic from volcanic and rocky, alluvial soils and head trained vines. Fermented in open top stainless steel tanks with a three day cold soak and native yeast fermentation. Aged 22 months in neutral oak barrels. 15% alc., 3.67 pH. 237cs made.

Sixteen 600 Syrah Dos Limones Sonoma Mountain 2018

The Vineyard: Dos Limones sits on a bench about a third of the way up Sonoma Mountain. The vineyard’s eastern exposure allows for early morning sun and the 500 foot elevation keeps it above the fog. Sonoma Mountain rises to the west providing early shade and cool evenings. The soil, known as Spreckles loam, is a fine mix of clay and gravel that limits the growth of the vigorous Syrah vines. Notably, this is the first vineyard Phil Coturri farmed organically, starting in 1979.

Tasting notes (as reviewed by Jeb Dunnuck): The 2018 Syrah Dos Limones Vineyard is another gorgeous wine in the lineup. Lots of blue fruits, bay leaf, hints of bacon fat, and peppery spice notes all define the nose, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless, ripe mouthfeel, supple tannins, and a great finish. A seeming mix of both hot and cool-climate aromas and flavors, it's going to keep for 7-8 years. 94 Points

Certified organic vineyard at 500’ elevation with spreckles loam soils of clay and gravel. Fermented in open top stainless steel tanks. A three day cold soak followed by native yeast fermentation. Co-fermented with Viognier skins. 14.4% Alc., 3.76 pH, 134cs produced.

Sixteen 600 Marsanne Simons Vineyard Moon Mountain District 2018

The Vineyard: The dichotomy of the Simons Vineyard is that it is both high in the Moon Mountain District and sits on the floor of a cool mountain valley. Geologic history suggests the expansive bowl that headwaters Agua Caliente Creek was once a volcanic caldera. The area is noted for jutting basaltic outcroppings that hint at the sparse rocky soil below. The natural bowl forms a microclimate with colder foggy mornings and cooler afternoons than vineyards within a half mile radius.

Tasting Notes: 100% Marsanne from the Moon mountain district. The wine features a soft golden color with a nuanced nose of peach, lemon grass, green apple and, honeysuckle. The acid is very prominent and bright, the flavor profile then transitions into notes of apple, pear and stone fruit. The body of the wine is light but still lingers as you taste the wine and there’s a subtle creaminess on the finish. As the wine opens up there are some savory spice notes and fine minerality on the back end.

Moon Mountain is a certified organic vineyard that sits at 600' elevation. Whole cluster pressed and barrel fermented with partial malolactic fermentation. Aged eight months in neutral oak barrels. 14.1% Alc. Only 400cs made.

Sixteen 600 Primitivo Rose Cannard Family Farm Sonoma County 2021 (Canned Wine)

Dry farmed, own-rooted Primitivo grown by Cannard Family Farm. 100% whole cluster press, picked to capture fresh bright, flavors. Delicious, medium-bodied Rose with lovely warm Primitivo berry-fruit and great acidity.

Sixteen 600