Our first vineyard was named partly in honor of Docteur Barolet, a French M.D. who made wines in the 1930-1950 period privately for himself and his friends. These wines are considered to be the finest red Burgundies ever made.


All of Clos de la Tech’s vineyards are planted using the finest rootstocks and Pinot Noir clones available from France. The rootstocks are chosen to match the characteristics of the soil, while the Pinot Noir clones are chosen to be the best available at the time of planting. Domaine du Docteur Rodgers is planted on Riparia Gloire, Courderc 420A and Millardet et de Grasset 101-14 rootstocks, known for low vigor (waist-high growth) and low yield. The rootstocks are topped with Pinot Noir clones named Dijon 113, 115, and 777, the latter two of which are recommended for replanting “Grand Cru” Burgundian vineyards.


The vineyards are planted in the French style with tightly-spaced vines. The soil is loamy clay with a pH of 7.0, very similar to the soils in Burgundy, except for an added dose of magnesium, which comes from the serpentine bedrock underneath the soil. Magnesium can be a problem in commercial-scale vineyards because it causes low vigor and low yield—but this is desired at Clos de la Tech.