Ceritas
Summary
Ceritas is a small-scale Sonoma Coast winery founded in 2005 by John Raytek and Phoebe Bass, producing under 2,500 cases annually of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from cool-climate vineyards along California's North Coast with distinctive sandy loam and decomposed sandstone soils. Their minimal-intervention approach includes native yeast fermentations, restrained oak usage, whole-cluster techniques tailored to each site, and a commitment to organic farming practices that transparently express each vineyard's unique character without filtration or stabilization treatments.
Heritage & Leadership
Ceritas was established in 2005 by the husband-and-wife team of John Raytek and Phoebe Bass. The winery's name, derived from the Latin word for "truth" or "integrity," reflects the founders' commitment to transparent winemaking that expresses vineyard character. John Raytek serves as winemaker, bringing experience from his previous work at Flowers Vineyard and Rhys Vineyards, while Phoebe Bass oversees vineyard management, with particular focus on the Bass family's Porter-Bass Vineyard in the Sonoma Coast.
The winery began with a modest production of just 150 cases during its inaugural vintage, focusing exclusively on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from select cool-climate vineyards. Over the years, Ceritas has maintained its small-scale production model while gradually expanding its vineyard sources to include some of California's most distinctive coastal sites. The winery operates without a public tasting room, distributing primarily through a mailing list and select restaurant placements.
Vineyards & Wines
Ceritas sources fruit from a carefully curated selection of vineyards along California's North Coast, with particular emphasis on sites in western Sonoma County and the true Sonoma Coast. The Porter-Bass Vineyard in Occidental, owned by Phoebe's family, serves as the winery's home vineyard and provides both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This 7.5-acre site sits at approximately 300 meters elevation on Goldridge sandy loam soils and has been farmed organically since 1999.
Additional vineyard sources include the Hellenthal Vineyard near Cazadero, planted in 1980 to heritage Pinot Noir selections, and the Charles Heintz Vineyard in Occidental, known for its 40-year-old Chardonnay vines grown on Goldridge soils. In Sonoma County's Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, Ceritas works with the Elliott Vineyard, situated at 400 meters elevation with decomposed sandstone soils.
The winery has also expanded to include sites in Mendocino County's Anderson Valley, working with the Marena Vineyard (Pinot Noir) and Trout Gulch Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which provides old-vine Chardonnay planted in 1980. Each vineyard is bottled separately to highlight its distinctive characteristics, with total production remaining under 2,500 cases annually across all wines.
Philosophy & Practice
Ceritas adheres to a winemaking philosophy centered on minimal intervention, with the goal of translating each vineyard's character as faithfully as possible. In the vineyard, Raytek and Bass work closely with growers to ensure farming practices align with their vision, emphasizing organic methods and precise timing of harvest to capture optimal ripeness while maintaining natural acidity.
In the cellar, Raytek employs native yeast fermentations for all wines. For Chardonnay, whole-cluster pressing is followed by fermentation and aging in French oak barrels, typically using 10-15% new oak. Pinot Noir undergoes varying percentages of whole-cluster fermentation depending on the vineyard and vintage, with gentle extraction methods and aging in French oak barrels (generally 15-20% new) for 12-16 months.
The winery avoids fining and filtration whenever possible, and sulfur additions are kept to a minimum. Bottling occurs without stabilization treatments, reflecting the winery's commitment to preserving the natural characteristics of each wine. This approach results in wines that emphasize precision, energy, and site-specificity rather than power or extraction, with alcohol levels typically ranging from 12.5-13.5% across the portfolio.