Bill Price purchases 138-acre Gap’s Crown vineyard in Sonoma Coast AVA
Bill Price, proprietor of Classic Wines, LLC and Price Family Vineyards, LLC, along with Richard Magnuson, of GI Partners, announced the sale of the Gap’s Crown, including the highly acclaimed 138-acre vineyard located in the Sonoma Coast AVA. Planted to 106 acres of Pinot Noir and 32 acres of Chardonnay, the vineyard has been a source for well-known producers including Patz & Hall, Paul Hobbs Winery and Kosta Browne Winery. Zepponi & Company, the global wine industry mergers and acquisitions advisory firm, served as the exclusive financial advisor to GI Partners and negotiated the sale to Gap’s Crown LLC, which was recently formed by Bill Price. Gap’s Crown LLC will continue to sell fruit from the vineyard to several producers.
“We’re thrilled to bring Gap’s Crown into our vineyard portfolio,” says Price. “Due to the benefits that it receives from the Petaluma wind gap, it’s proven to be an exceptional vineyard for producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.”
Kosta Browne Winery has purchased Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir grapes since 2006. Gap’s Crown LLC intends to lease 37 planted acres to Kosta Browne Winery thereby enabling Kosta Browne to launch an estate vineyard program. “It has been the backbone of our Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir program and contributed to our 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir being awarded Wine Spectator’s #1 Wine of the Year in 2011,” says Michael Browne, founder of Kosta Browne Winery.
The property, which consists of 406 acres total, consists of rolling hills with varied elevations and was developed in 2002, with a second phase being completed in 2007. Located at 6900 Presley Road, it is nestled in the Petaluma Gap region in the southern part of the Sonoma Coast AVA. Classified as a Region I cool climatic zone, the Gap’s Crown vineyard sits at the head of a wind funnel and receives cool temperatures that enables an extended growing season for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay while maintaining acidity.
About Bill Price and Classic Wines, LLC
Bill Price is the proprietor of Classic Wines, LLC and Price Family Vineyards, LLC—including ownership and management of Sonoma Coast vineyards including Durell Vineyard, 111 Wilson Vineyard, DuPont Vineyard and One Sky Vineyard. In addition to its vineyard properties, Classic Wines has ownership interests in Kistler Vineyards, Buccella, Three Sticks and Price Chanin Vineyards. He is also chairman of Kosta Browne Winery and Gary Farrell Winery.
About GI Partners
GI Partners, headquartered in Menlo Park, CA, is a private equity investment firm with approximately $8.5 billion of capital under management from leading institutional investors in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The firm focuses on asset-intensive, middle-market businesses and portfolios of assets located in North America. Key sectors of focus include technology, healthcare, asset-backed wine, leisure and retail, and financial and real estate services. Across all of its investments, GI Partners seeks to identify operating companies with market leading positions and establish a partnership orientation with management to drive value creation and growth through fundamental operational enhancement. For more information about GI Partners, please visit www.gipartners.com.
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