Our Vineyard

Pinot noir is a red wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name is derived from the french words for "pine" and "black" alluding to the varietals' tightly clustered dark purple pine cone shaped bunches of fruit.

Pinot Noir grapes are grown around the world, mostly in the cooler regions, but the grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France. It is widely considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world, but is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine.  The United States has increasingly become a major Pinot Noir producer, with some of the best regarded coming from: the Willamette Valley in Oregon, California's Sonoma County with its Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations, the Central Coast's Santa Cruz Mountains appellation, the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation, and the Santa Rita Hills viticultural area.  

The Santa Cruz Mountains appellation was recently called "the most under-rated Pinot Noir growing region in the US" by Wine Spectator.  Wineries and wine enthusiasts have just begun uncovering the true potential of Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir; yet, even in its infancy, the region is already known to produce some of the world's most sought-after Pinot Noir.

The leaves of Pinot Noir are generally smaller than those of Cabernet Sauvignon, but larger than those of Syrah. The grape cluster is small and cylindrical, vaguely shaped like a pine cone. Some viticultural historians believe this shape may have given rise to the name. Pinot Noir tends to produce narrow trunks and branches. In the vineyard it is sensitive to light exposure, cropping levels (it must be low yielding), soil types and pruning techniques. In the winery it is sensitive to fermentation methods, yeast strains and is highly reflective of its terroir with different regions producing very different wines.  This sensitivity to its environment results in a wine that can be difficult to grow and make properly, but also is the reason why Pinot Noirs from different regions exude such dramatic differences of flavor characteristics.  

The tremendously broad range of bouquets, flavors, textures and impressions that Pinot Noir can produce sometimes confuses tasters.  In the broadest terms, the wine tends to be of light to medium body with an aroma reminiscent of black cherry, raspberry or currant. Traditional red Burgundy is famous for its fleshy, 'farmyard' aromas, but changing fashions and new easier-to-grow clones have favoured a lighter, fruitier style. The grape's color when young, often compared to that of garnet, is often much lighter than that of other red wines. However, an emerging style from California and New Zealand highlights a more powerful, fruit forward and darker wine that can approach syrah in depth.

Our vines are planted in small blocks enabling viticulture practices to be tailored to each micro-environment. We at Heart O' The Mountain are personally involved in every aspect of growing the grapes, including vine health, pruning strategy, canopy management, water application and, ultimately, crop yield. By conducting petiole pressure tests throughout the vineyard, we are able to monitor the stress level and water requirement of each small block, which results in high quality grapes rich in color and flavor.

Our estate vineyard is planted with the following clones: 

A vineyard's terroir plays a significant role in determining the quality and character of the grapes, and therefore the resulting wine. Pinot Noir thrives in the cool, coastal areas of central California. The well drained, rocky soil of the hillsides helps enhance the color and flavor concentration of the fruit. Heart O' The Mountain's estate vineyard is situated at an elevation of 1100 feet on the steep, southern slope of Mt. Roberta in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Located approximately six miles from the Pacific Ocean, the combination of the cooling effect of the ocean breeze flowing in off the Monterey Bay and the warming influence spilling over from the inland valley during the day, produces an ideal climate for growing exceptional Pinot Noir.

Vines

Our Estate vineyard, which is comprised of 5 Pinot Noir clones from the Dijon and Pommard regions of France, produces an elegant, multilayered wine. Each clone adds an exciting characteristic to the final wine. The clones were planted on root stock specifically selected to be compatible with the location, climate and soil of the vineyard site. Due to the varying nature of the topography, ranging from steep hillside, narrow ridges, and small benches, various vine row orientations were used to optimize the vineyard site.