Sonoma Valley · Sonoma County
Visit Platt Vineyard with a Private Chauffeur
Redwood-ringed West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, once sold to the coast's best winemakers and now bottled as an estate, poured in a private salon off the Sonoma Plaza, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Lewis E. Platt, chief executive of Hewlett-Packard in the 1990s and a lifelong wine lover, ran Kendall-Jackson from 2000 to mid-2001 before buying land in the Freestone-Occidental area with his wife, Joan. They planted the first 23 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in 2003, working with the winemakers who would buy the grapes, among them David Ramey, Fred Scherrer, Ted Lemon of Littorai and Eric Sussman of Radio Coteau. Lewis died in 2005, before the first harvest, and the vineyard keeps his name. Joan sold it in 2015, and in 2022 the French group AXA Millésimes, owner of Château Pichon Baron in Pauillac and Quinta do Noval in Portugal, bought it.
For years Platt grapes went to other wineries and became some of the most sought-after Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in California. Since 2023 all of the fruit stays home: consulting winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown and winemaker Derek Flegal make the wines at a nearby winery while AXA seeks permits to build one on the property, and the 2023 vintage, released in 2025, was the first under the Platt Vineyard label. The 43 acres sit between 425 and 800 feet on Goldridge sandy loam, an ancient seabed, ringed by centuries-old redwoods a few miles from the Pacific, and are farmed as 32 separate blocks.
You taste in Sonoma, not out at the coast. The salon is on First Street West, just off the plaza, and the Monopole Reserve Tasting is private and seated: a member of the team walks you through the four current releases and how elevation, fog and soil shape each one, over about 90 minutes. It is a quiet room for people who care about Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and an easy first stop before we head up the valley.
Tasting Fees
$75 for the Monopole Reserve Tasting, private and seated, four current releases, about 90 minutes. One tasting fee is waived for every three-bottle purchase.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
383 First Street West, Sonoma
AVA
Sonoma Valley
Visiting
The salon is open Tuesday to Saturday, by appointment or by chance. The Monopole Reserve Tasting is by appointment only; we request the visit by email or phone.
Known For
Estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from a redwood-ringed vineyard on the West Sonoma Coast
Founded
Planted in 2003 by Lewis and Joan Platt; estate wines since the 2023 vintage
Good to Know
The salon is in the town of Sonoma; the vineyard itself is in the Freestone-Occidental area near the coast. Plan about 90 minutes for the Monopole Reserve Tasting. The wines are sold by allocation, and the 2024 vintage is released in mid-September 2026.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Sonoma hotel such as MacArthur Place or The Lodge at Sonoma.
10:00 · Pickup at MacArthur Place or The Lodge at Sonoma
MacArthur Place, a few blocks south of the plaza, and The Lodge at Sonoma, on Broadway south of the plaza, are each about 5 minutes from Platt's salon. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Platt Vineyard
The Monopole Reserve Tasting of four current releases, private and seated ($75). Plan about 90 minutes.
12:15 · Lunch at Salt+Stone
About 30 minutes away. A steakhouse, seafood grill and oyster bar among the vineyards on the Sonoma Highway in Kenwood, with craft cocktails and tables overlooking a koi pond. Lunch is served Thursday to Tuesday. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
1:35 · Landmark Vineyards
About 5 minutes away. Founded in 1974 by Damaris Deere Ford, great-great-granddaughter of John Deere, and known for Overlook Chardonnay, a style Helen Turley helped set in the 1990s and a seven-time pick for Wine Spectator's Top 100. Tastings are seated outdoors at the foot of the Mayacamas, looking over the vines, with a bocce court for groups: the Exclusive Wine Tasting is $50 and the Reserve Library Tasting of older Chardonnay and Pinot Noir $70, each about 90 minutes. Reservations required; Thursday to Monday, last seated tasting at 3:30 p.m.
3:20 · Talisman Wine
About 15 minutes away. Scott and Marta Rich's Pinot Noir house; Scott was once winemaker at Etude. They pour in the former Roma Hotel, the oldest commercial building in Glen Ellen, around a big table made from a Hawaiian mango tree. Every flight is seated and about 90 minutes: the Pinot Noir Terroir Tasting of six vineyard sites is $45, and The Ancient Method, foot-trodden whole-cluster Pinot Noir beside the same grapes made the usual way, $65. Open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; appointments encouraged, walk-ins welcome.
4:50 · Back to your hotel
Back in Sonoma by 5:15 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Platt's salon opens Tuesday to Saturday and Landmark Thursday to Monday, so this day works Thursday to Saturday. All three tastings run about 90 minutes, so the day ends around 5:15.
About $170 to $210 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Every tour is custom. This day is a starting point: your chauffeur will shape it around what matters to you, and we plan multi-day tours for guests who want to see more of wine country.
Your Vehicle & Six-Hour Tour Rates
Up to 6 guests
Elite Luxury SUV
Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade
From $750
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $125 each.
Up to 9 guests
Jet Sprinter or Executive Luxury Van
Captain's chairs and room to spread out
From $1,350
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $225 each.
Larger groups travel in more than one vehicle, and we plan the winery appointments around your group, since many wineries limit groups to 6 to 8 guests. Tasting fees are separate and paid directly to each winery. Every tour starts with six hours; add time by the hour when you book.
Questions
Do I need a reservation at Platt Vineyard?
The Monopole Reserve Tasting is by appointment only, and the salon also welcomes guests by chance, Tuesday to Saturday. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Platt Vineyard?
$75 per person for the Monopole Reserve Tasting, as of September 2026. One tasting fee is waived for every three bottles purchased.
Where is Platt Vineyard?
The vineyard is on the West Sonoma Coast, in the Freestone-Occidental area a few miles from the Pacific. The tasting salon is at 383 First Street West in Sonoma, just off the plaza.
Who owns Platt Vineyard?
AXA Millésimes, the French group behind Château Pichon Baron and Quinta do Noval, which bought the vineyard in 2022. Lewis and Joan Platt planted it in 2003.
Who makes Platt Vineyard wines?
Consulting winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, with winemaker Derek Flegal. Before 2023, Platt grapes went to wineries such as Ramey, Littorai and Radio Coteau.
How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?
Reserve a six-hour tour online, even if your plans are still taking shape. Your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Extra hours can be added.
Reserve Your Tour Now, Plan the Details Later
Your plans don't need to be final to book. Reserve your six-hour tour online, and your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Prefer to talk? Call our concierge at 888-291-2328.
Reserve Your Tour{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Winery","name":"Platt Vineyard","url":"https://www.plattvineyard.com/en/","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"383 First Street West","addressLocality":"Sonoma","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95476","addressCountry":"US"},"foundingDate":"2003"},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Do I need a reservation at Platt Vineyard?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The Monopole Reserve Tasting is by appointment only, and the salon also welcomes guests by chance, Tuesday to Saturday. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much is a tasting at Platt Vineyard?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"$75 per person for the Monopole Reserve Tasting, as of September 2026. One tasting fee is waived for every three bottles purchased."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Where is Platt Vineyard?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The vineyard is on the West Sonoma Coast, in the Freestone-Occidental area a few miles from the Pacific. The tasting salon is at 383 First Street West in Sonoma, just off the plaza."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who owns Platt Vineyard?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"AXA Millésimes, the French group behind Château Pichon Baron and Quinta do Noval, which bought the vineyard in 2022. Lewis and Joan Platt planted it in 2003."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who makes Platt Vineyard wines?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Consulting winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, with winemaker Derek Flegal. Before 2023, Platt grapes went to wineries such as Ramey, Littorai and Radio Coteau."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Reserve a six-hour tour online, even if your plans are still taking shape. Your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Extra hours can be added."}}]}]}