Winemaker: Theodore R Elliott

Theodore R (“Ted”) Elliott began his wine career in the 1960s, studying wine appreciation at University of Hawaii while stationed there with his Naval Scuba Diving Unit. He continued his study of wine production and marketing at Stanford University, and consulted with small wineries while working at the San Francisco office of Deloitte and Touche. There, Elliott worked for Phil Woodward, founder of the Chalone Wine Group, who encouraged Elliott to purchase a Bordeaux-style property in Sonoma County, just north of San Francisco. The Grand-Nephew of President Theodore Roosevelt on his mother’s side, Ted was no stranger to the concept of adventure—so, with the guidance of his mentor and the encouragement of his family, he co-founded and was President of Carmenet (now known as Moon Mountain Vineyard), a single vineyard that produces Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard, which was merged into the Chalone Wine Group in 1983, continues to produce some of the finest meritage wines in the New World. After that merger, Elliott’s career led him to one of the world’s best-known wine producers, Sonoma–Cutrer Vineyards—now considered an American icon. With the pending release of its first wine, a 1981 vintage Chardonnay, Elliott was again drawn to the concept of focusing on one high-quality varietal and he joined Sonoma–Cutrer as General Manager. During his 19 years at Sonoma–Cutrer, Elliott held every executive position from General Manager to President. At Sonoma–Cutrer, he led the Company’s experimental and covert Pinot Noir program for the harvests of 2000 and 2001. In the late 1990s, Elliott co-founded the Hallberg Vineyard with many associates from Sonoma–Cutrer, including the Vineyard Manager Kirk Lokka and President Brice Jones. The Hallberg Vineyard, located in the heart of the Russian River Valley Appellation, grows only Pinot Noir. The Hallberg Vineyard is the main fruit source for TR Elliott. Elliott founded TR Elliott in 2002 to produce Russian River Pinot Noir exclusively. “Our Pinots will always be representative of the best that Russian River Pinot can be,” says Elliott. TR Elliott Pinots are blends from specific blocks and clones of Pinot Noir from the Hallberg Vineyard and the nearby O’Connell Vineyard.

Annual Production: 1,000 cases

Grape Varieties Planted

• Pinot Noir