Glass of Chardonnay

Glass of Chardonnay

This weekend, we will be bottling the 2010 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay.  The grapes for this vintage come from the southern part of the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation and were harvested last October. So, a couple of things.

First, you might be wondering about this appellation.  Recognized in 1981 as an American Viticultural Area (AVA), the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation is the first winegrowing region in the US to be defined by a mountain range.  The appellation encompasses vineyards above 400 feet on the western/ocean side of the mountain range and above 800 feet on the eastern side.  The mountainous terrain and marine-influenced atmosphere contribute to the many wonderful microclimates in this AVA.

Second, the grapes for our 2010 Chardonnay are from the Regan Vineyard in the southwestern part of the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA.  These grapes were harvested in October 2010 and have been going through fermentation and malolactic conversion while barrel aging for the past nine months.  Early taste tests included hints of tropical fruits, butter, and vanilla. 

Check back with us later this weekend—we’ll post some photos from the bottling extravaganza and let you know how the wine tastes!