| TASTE BENCHMARKS |
| |
Profile #1
|
| Appearance |
Straw-gold. |
| Aroma |
Licorice elements set against peach/lychee elements from Viognier. |
| Flavor |
A fat but angular palate impression. |
| Balance |
Mineral energy softened by an oily richness. |
| PRODUCTION CORRELATIONS |
| Oenological |
In barrel fermentation malolactic and extensive oak ageing. Yeasty elements from stirred lees. Blended with Viognier. |
| Viticultural |
Uneven terrain does not lend itself to factory farming as on the valley foor. Individual attention to hand-tended vines adds to bottle price but pays dividends in quality. |
| Terroir |
A raised escarpment underlain with shale. Still subject to daily winds, it is nevertheless completely distinct from the Monterey AVA valley floor to the east. The further south one plants along the 15 mile strip, the warmer and more sheltered are its vineyards, and thus the riper and less acidic are the wines, but some of the best are made in the north, which has better access to hand labor. |