Sustainably farmed, passionately prepared, gratefully shared
Established in 2007
- ABOUT KELLEY & YOUNG -
Founders Jim Young and the late Kathleen Kelley Young with their grandson, Barrett, in 2020.
LEGACY
Started in 2006 by husband-and-wife team Jim Young and Kathleen Kelley Young, Kelley & Young Wines is a boutique winery located in the Alexander Valley region of Northern California's Sonoma County wine country. Kelley & Young's mission has always been to share Jim and Kathleen's passion for good food and exceptional wine—but, in January 2021, Kathleen passed away at the age of 63 after a 4-plus-year battle with cancer. To honor their mother, Kathleen's daughters, Madeline and Courtney, are continuing her legacy by helping Jim bring Kelley & Young wines to the world while helping raise money for cancer research through a partnership with the American Cancer Society.
THE KATHLEEN ROSE FUND
Kathleen Rose Kelley Young was a beloved member of the community in Alexander Valley, Calif., and her death of colorectal cancer on January 3, 2021, will leave an unmistakable void in the lives of everyone she knew and loved. She was also an unbelievable fighter, long outlasting all medical expectations from the time of her diagnosis in 2016. During her fight, she became a diligent researcher into her disease, strong proponent for cancer education, and vocal advocate for a healthy lifestyle.
In order to help honor Kathleen’s memory and her incredible life, her family created the Kathleen Rose Fund through the American Cancer Society. Your tax-deductible donation to the Kathleen Rose Fund will directly support lifesaving colon cancer research, education, and care. Your contribution means so much to Kathleen’s family and to those fighting colon cancer with all the vigor with which Kathleen also fought so bravely.
WINE PRODUCTION
In 2021, Kelley & Young will produce about 1,500 cases, our largest output to date. We produce five main wines every vintage:
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Sauvignon Blanc: elegant with long-lasting flavors
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Kathleen Rose: a light Bordeaux blend rosé
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Nuits de Young: a dark Bordeaux blend rosé
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Zinfandel: fermented with native yeast and aged in French oak for 20 months
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Malbec: fermented with native yeast and aged in French oak for 20 months
We also produce a Late Harvest Sauvignon or a Late Harvest Riesling, when conditions are right to encourage Botrytis. Additionally, we are currently aging a Pinot Noir, which will be available in very limited quantities as a 2019 vintage and in bottle late this year.
ROBERT YOUNG VINEYARDS
We source the majority of our grapes from the family’s certified-sustainable Robert Young Vineyards, which comprises 287 acres of vineyards in Alexander Valley in northern Sonoma County and has been farmed by the Young family since 1858. Jim is the Vineyard Manager and CEO for Robert Young and he selects only the perfect places in the vineyard from which to source Kelley & Young grapes. He’s also able to grow those grapes just the way he likes so that the wines truly represent the terroir of the property.
The 450-acre property, which includes the vineyards, is nestled up against the Mayacama Mountain range to the north and east, with an expansive view of Alexander Valley and the coastal hills to the west and south. Robert Young Vineyards grows 12 varietals: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Melon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Riesling, and Zinfandel. About 95 percent of the grapes grown at Robert Young Vineyards are sold to large wineries (including Chateau St. Jean, Duckhorn, and Simi). The rest is processed by the family winery, while just 1.5 percent are purchased by Kelley & Young. Because we enjoy and respect the wonderful wines made at the Robert Young Estate Winery—primarily Chardonnay and Scion, a Bordeaux blend—Kelley & Young does not make those wines; instead, we focus on the other varietals grown at Robert Young Vineyards.
DISTRIBUTION
Currently, we are self-distributed, selling most of our wine to our growing Wine Club, with some reserves for new customers, as well as fine restaurants and shops in California. We’ve won some very nice awards for our wines, but what we hold more dear than gold is that our customers continue to come back and tell us how much they love our wines.
Please note: For online purchases, we ship in these quantities: 3 bottles, 6 bottles, and 12 bottles. Please order accordingly. Thank you!
