Trout Gulch Vineyard Chardonnay

The Trout Gulch Vineyard is tucked within a dark and forested coastal canyon at 600’ above the sleepy village of Aptos, about 4 miles from the ocean in Santa Cruz County. This beautiful and pioneering site was planted by Bernard Turgeon in 1980 to the old Wente clone of Chardonnay, which is considered by many to be the heritage selection of Chardonnay in California. As with many of our sites, Trout Gulch lies at the absolute edge of ripening potential for the grape variety. We feel fortunate for the visionary farmers that planted vines in such marginal locations when we were children, so that we have the honor of working with them now in our adulthood. The soils in this cool site are fine sandy loam and the vines are carefully tended by Richard Alfaro and his top-notch crew. Harvest at Trout Gulch often stretches until mid-October and this long, slow growing season results in wines that are high in natural acidity, strong minerality, and have notable salinity on the palate. We are excited to work with such a special site and think the Chardonnays we have produced so far from this plot will age well in the cellar for years to come.

Elevation: 600’
Clone/Selection: Wente
Soils: Elkhorn series; Sandy Loam
Vine Density: 6’x8’
Farming: Organic
Planted: 1980