The Fiddletown estate bolsters Leveque’s commitment to the vineyards of the Sierra Foothills
Fiddletown, CA (August 6, 2023) – Since founding PleinAir Vineyards in 2013, owners Sarah and Tom Malone have planted estate vineyards, created a visitor experience, and, along with winemaker and their son Dan Malone, made wine since 2018. Now with feet firmly planted in the Fiddletown AVA, Tom, Sarah, and Dan welcome Steve Leveque as the ultimate next step in elevating quality in their wines and establishing a house style for the winery.
Leveque starts with the 2023 vintage at PleinAir, making Rhone and Bordeaux varietal wines and blends. He offers sterling winemaking chops from past associations with Hall, Opus, Mondavi, Chalk Hill Estate, and with visionaries such as Michel Rolland. Steve’s wines have earned three 100-point scores from The Wine Advocate, earned two 100-point scores from Jeb Dunnuck, and secured No. 2 Wine in the World honors on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2011 list.
Four years ago, the Sierra Foothills beckoned. Struck by the region’s natural diversity, Steve is seizing upon its soils, elevation, temperature, aspect, slope, wind, and exposure to the sun — all providing ideal conditions for a multitude of varieties. He has partnered with the region’s top growers and is pushing quality winemaking boundaries in this promising AVA. Steve comments, “I hope to bring PleinAir Vineyards into their highest potential through meticulous, timely, and proven viticulture inputs.” Previously mentored by Steve in another Sierra Foothill winery, Dan Malone will work in tandem making wines for his family’s PleinAir Vineyards.
The vineyards at PleinAir are situated at 2,000 feet elevation, on rolling hills with a primary west-facing slope. Tom Malone has installed a water-saving underground drip at the foot of his vines to limit evaporation and maximize water efficiency in the vineyards. The soils on the estate are Sierra coarse sandy loam and are planted with Rhone varietals, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Viognier, Mourvèdre, and Grenache. Leveque will also work with the Malones to secure grapes from top-quality Amador and El Dorado grape growers for PleinAir’s Bordeaux-inspired wines.
Sarah and Tom Malone want wines that are luxurious, full-bodied, and deep in color. “We are excited about our future Bordeaux and Rhone focused wines under Steve’s stewardship that will help to further define PleinAir’s house style,” says Sarah. As Francophiles and always artistically inspired, Tom and Sarah have previously collaborated in making living spaces comfortable through remodeling and design, mostly in the Pebble Beach region. Sarah adds, “In our wines and on our Fiddletown property, we want to access our own experiences and bear in mind what moves us — homey, warm, friendly, and authentic. We are doing what we love and know.” The result is a sociable and unhurried country French indoor and outdoor hospitality center appointed with French artifacts and furniture. Patrons are met and served by the owners themselves, either in the cellar room or under a grove of stately old oak trees.
Tom Malone is excited for the winery’s newest development. He says, “Together Sarah and I have always created quality and aesthetics. While welcoming the artistry of Steve Leveque’s winemaking, we move closer to realizing optimum artistic and quality standards in our wines.”
