The Santa Cruz Mountains:
San Francisco’s Heart, High On A Hill It Calls...

The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is a myriad of mountain glens and mudstone hilltops with chilly enclaves tucked in between. Within each of these, the variability in soil type, exposure, fog influence, and diurnal temperature swings manifests so uniquely that each ten-acre plot can experience a climate all its own. Indeed, this is terroir diversity that boggles the mind; diversity that is well represented in a multiplicity of styles found the in the region’s best Chardonnays.

by Clark Smith
October 3, 2008

---

Long before Napa Valley became home to California’s celebrity back-to-the-landers, the Santa Cruz Mountains had been the breed’s spiritual center for a century. What a fluke of nature is this gift of terroir, worthy of Montrachet, and yet within taxicab range of Northern California’s major metropolitan centers – at first San Francisco and Stanford University, then later the Silicon Gulch. Scores of gentry have been unable to resist the allure of establishing commutable micro-vineyards, and now a hundred top sites sit above the hubbub like jewels in the city’s crown.

So ideal is its location – like Long Island, its position rather than its perfection is seen as the primary appeal – that these mountain glens and mudstone hilltops are often underappreciated. Begin with the blessings of elevation – great drainage and bright incident light ensuring flavor development. Add the moderating influence of Pacific breezes tamed to gentleness by the torturous terrain. When we speak of “above the fog-line,” it must be appreciated that we are speaking of the ripening season, not the June gloom which delays the cycle of maturity and accounts for the region’s incredibly long, late ripening. Even halfway to the stars at 2,600 feet, the morning fog may chill the air.

I don’t care. For the result of delaying maturation to the cool weeks of October is a firm backbone of acidity and intense flavor development. Then add in the soils, which vary from the residual shale and limestone of the western precipices to the spongy mudstone which provides year-round water availability at sufficient tension to limit vigor, enabling dry-farming and a flourishing philosophical home for non-interventionism tempered with can-do pragmatism.

Santa Cruz has been firmly established as a world-class wine region for over a century. Preceded by mission church sacramental wines as early as 1804, its serious commercial genesis can be traced to Scotsman John Burns, who first planted commercial grapes in 1853 in “Ben Lomond,” after an old Scottish wine district. Santa Cruz County had 16 wineries by 1870. Another Scot, John A. Steward, brought French élevage principles to his Etta Hill vineyard, wrote and proselytized extensively for quality improvement in the State, and together with Ben Lomond’s William Coope competed successfully in competitions throughout the U.S. and in Paris during the 1890’s. The Depression of 1892, a vast fire in 1899, and the enthusiastic activities of the WCTU’s Cadets of Temperance, which also caught fire in Santa Cruz in the mid 1880’s, wiped out commercial winemaking here for half a century.

Still fewer than a thousand acres in total, the region today is home to more top wines per acre than anywhere else in North America. There are plenty of sites, but they are tiny – the new 60-acre Beauregard Vineyard in Ben Lomond is considered huge by local standards. Miniscule though its planted surface may be, the AVA’s diversity boggles the mind. Few places on earth compete seriously with both Burgundy and Bordeaux. Yet the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, which Martin Ray cultivated, and the Cabernets of Ridge Vineyards, both having consistently stunned the Old World throughout the past several decades, are three miles apart.

One can propose sub-appellations – the chilly enclaves along Skyline Boulevard to the north; the stark, windswept rock of the foothills around Saratoga to the east; the hilltops and ridgelines along Summit Road in the region’s center; the mountain glens above Corralitos in the south and southeast; and the foggy, loamy coastal redwood environment and marine influence in and around SCM’s only official sub-AVA, Ben Lomond Mountain, to the west and southwest. Yet within each of these, the variability in soil type, exposure, fog influence, and diurnal temperature swings manifests so uniquely that each ten-acre plot can experience a climate all its own. Add to that the personal choices, from high tech to hands off, from on-site webcams to biodynamics, the diverse clonal selections, trellising, tillage, irrigation, covercrop and winemaking style choices, and you have a hundred unique worlds which defy categorization.

This region’s natural gifts are never yielded up to the faint of heart. Here epic angst is standard fare. Yields are pitiably small and there are no economies of scale, none of the large acreages so readily farmable in the North Coast or in nearby Monterey. It seems that to succeed here, it helps to be a little bit crazy. It is impossible to understand the terroir of Santa Cruz without studying its pioneers, each of which has left an indelible stamp on its history and daily practices through an uncompromising dedication to their own different drummer. The results of their explorations have spread far beyond the AVA to elevate not only the wines, but the lives of winemakers throughout California and in turn, the entire continent.

Martin Ray, whose eccentric insistence on French oak barrels, sur lies ageing and varietal labeling forged the path of today’s standard practices in 1942. The role call of innovative professional elite here is lengthy: San Francisco theologian William Short replanted the moribund Montebello Ridge to Cabernet Sauvignon in 1949, much to the delight of Stanford research physicist David Bennion and later minimalist visionary Paul Draper. Dermatologist David Bruce pioneered the California implementation of late harvest winemaking, malolactic fermentation of whites, gravity racking, and whole berry fermentation of reds. Eminent cardiovascular surgeon Thomas Fogarty converted his medical patent royalties into a mountain estate overlooking Stanford Medical Center. PhD microbiologist Leo McCloskey developed (and gave away gratis to the industry) an enzymatic method for monitoring malolactic fermentation, which is the global standard today.

There is plenty of moneyed influence: Ridge Vineyards’ corporate patron, the Japanese pharmaceutical giant Otsuka, and Silicon Valley billionaire-in-jeans T.J. Rodgers of Clos de La Tech provide the most visible examples among many. But it is not money that drives the Santa Cruz mentality. In a nutshell, the region makes little economic sense. Vineyard development is driven by a pure love – love of wine, to be sure, but not just any wine. Memorable wine, wine deep in somewhereness – dense, savage, minerally, take-no-prisoners wine – made according to natural principles, wine of passion and of faith. Add love of family and perhaps of redemption, and the urge for a healthy legacy, which enriches rather than corrupts. Lastly, love of the Earth and the Divine, for there are no atheists in such vineyards.

These hills seem immune to the normal rules of commerce. Unlike anywhere else on the planet, the spread of upscale residential has actually expanded the number of vineyard sites. Clos LaChance’s sister company CK Vines works with “backyard” micro-vineyards to achieve professional high quality vineyard development in tiny plots throughout the region. Kathryn Kennedy steadfastly refuses to cash in her 30 acres of Cabernet to housing developers despite the tidy fortune they represent in real estate value.

Its unique terroir and cultural influences have always made the Santa Cruz Mountains a natural home to free-thinking naturalist visionaries, spiritual motivations and earth-conscious experimentation. Martin Ray eschewed herbicides, excessive sulfites, filtration and even racking. In 1900, Robert Louis Stevenson’s widow Fannie planted Vanumanutagi, the “Valley of the Singing Birds”, in homage to her just-deceased husband, naming the vineyard blocks after his books. Ace vineyardist Prudy Foxx, in her many and diverse projects for a suite of ultrapremium-oriented clients, seeks out tiny sites which combine moderating sun exposure and water-loving soils – clay, loam, mudstone or even sandstone – which, when properly shepherded, provide perfect conditions for natural vine balance, reining in vigor. With care, these sites can enable minimal tillage, dry-farming and other organic principles, imparting distinctive properties to their wines as well as special circumstances in which to raise families. Today rock star vintner Randall Graham, long the California wine world’s poet laureate and intellectual spirit guide, has sold off his megaboutique projects and comes home to Bonny Doon to explore and enunciate the essence of biodynamics.

Parsing the Sublime: The Chardonnays of Santa Cruz Mountains

Chardonnay, which boasted only 11 acres in Napa in 1970, was established a century before in Santa Cruz when Burgundian Paul Masson began making sparkling wine from it in 1878. His successor Martin Ray included it in his plantings in the 1940’s. Almaden’s Los Gatos vineyards contained it in the ‘50’s, and then David Bruce established a reputation for barrel-aged malolactic Chardonnays by the late ‘60’s. Now planted throughout the AVA, it always makes rich golden wines of great density, mineral energy and age-worthiness. Beyond this, our evaluation team found a multiplicity of styles. With the experienced guidance assistance of Prudy Foxx and the tireless mapping efforts of Viticulture Association of the Santa Cruz Mountains Vice President Mary Lindsay, we divided the region into five sub-appellations, four of which were represented in our tasting by wines that well typified their neighborhoods.

Indeed, we advanced an unusually high percentage of SCM Chardonnays to Best-of-Appellation™ standing. Even with our BOA methodology focused on isolating regionality character first, as a pre-condition benchmark for celebrating quality, there is always an urge to grade on a curve. Yet one needs to bear in mind that, there being no profit but glory in these laudably expensive and terroir-driven enterprises, if one can’t achieve utter excellence, what the heck’s the point? And, “make their points” these diverse Chardonnay do…with gusto! All that being said, I suspect that in a typical wine competition or Chardonnay grab-bag blind tasting, these wines might not fare as well. Absent the all-important regional context, many are simply so unusual, so dense, so wild that some judges might reject them out of hand.

It’s for sure, in the Chardonnay-is-a-Chardonnay-is-a-Chardonnay school of wine appreciation, the bold and diverse plurality of Santa Cruz Mountain ChardonnaySSSS can be a challenge. Let’s look at some of that plurality, on the map and in the glass.

---

Skyline Boulevard

Here we see the heavy influence of maritime fog and Pacific breezes on deep loamy soils. Most wines exhibited a group of characteristics we coined as the Skyline Austere style: Deep amber yellow sapphire color; aromas of dark rum, lemon oil, bow rosin, metallic, Roussanne-like, sometimes with butter, tropical, and lavender variations; dense on the palate, with tamarind tartness, sometimes to the point of bitterness, and elements of five spice.

• Clos LaChance Vineyard
  2005 Chardonnay, Liebeler Vineyard
• Hallcrest Vineyards
  2006 Chardonnay, Kapoor
• Thomas Fogarty Winery
  2005 Chardonnay, Estate
• Varner Winery
  2006 Bee Block Chardonnay, Spring Ridge Vineyard
• Varner Winery
  2006 Home Block Chardonnay, Spring Ridge Vineyard

A second more stylized expression we dubbed the Skyline Meursault style, which exhibited aromas of custard, butter, spice, vanilla, and bergamot, with a nutty sweetness on the palate, taming the aggressiveness of this cool region.

• Thomas Fogarty Winery
  2006 Chardonnay, Langley Hill Vineyard

Eastern Foothills above Saratoga

These wines are characteristically rounder, softer, more plump, and less angular than Skyline. Aromas are more weedy/mustard, more like single malt Scotch than rum; butterscotch, vanilla, smoke, bubblegum, dried apple, crème brulée, spice elements, especially cardamom, counter-pointed by sage and dandelion. The mouth is rich and lush, full of peach and cashew, with a finish of Angostura bitters or orange peel.

• Cooper-Garrod Estate
  2005 Chardonnay, Gravel Ridge Vineyard
• Mount Eden Vineyards
  2005 Chardonnay, Estate

Summit Road

The terroir here is marked by high altitude hilltops and ridgeline sites. Underfoot, it is sand and sandstone with clay running through; soils with lots of holding capacity, but tightening up in the summer for natural vigor control. These vineyards are easy to manage and even dry farm, thriving without significant inputs. Several vineyards are certified organic. Vines stabilize within 7-8 years and don’t require manipulation. The resulting wines are surprisingly pale in color, with aromas of grapefruit and lemongrass and malt Scotch. On the palate there is a stone fruit heart and racy acidity; they are delicate overall, but intricate with a long line.

• Burrell School Vineyards
  2000 Chardonnay, Estate
• Burrell School Vineyards
  2005 Chardonnay, Estate
• Cinnabar Vineyard
  2006 Chardonnay, Reserve
• Silver Mountain Vineyards
  2001 Chardonnay, Estate
• Silver Mountain Vineyards
  2004 Chardonnay, Estate
• Storrs Winery
  2007 Chardonnay, Stu Miller Vineyard

Pleasant Valley Overlooking Corralitos

Here, sheltered mountain glens and self-styled Burgundians produce a more affable, comely style of Chardonnay with less driving acidity. More floral bouquet than fruity aromas, exhibiting perfumey lilac, rose petal, coriander, and fresh fig. However, the wines are still crisp and minerally by California standards. The wines are feminine, voluptuous, and comely on the palate; graceful, round and extremely well balanced.

• Bargetto Winery
  2006 Reserve Chardonnay, Regan Vineyards
• Clos LaChance Vineyard
  2004 Chardonnay, Biagini Vineyard
• Clos LaChance Vineyard
  2005 Chardonnay, Biagini Vineyard
• Domenico Wines
  2005 Chardonnay, Barrel Fermented
• Fernwood Cellars
  2006 Chardonnay
• Sarah's Vineyard
  2006 Chardonnay, Vanumanutagi Vineyard
• Storrs Winery
  2006 Chardonnay, Christie Vineyard
• Windy Oaks Estate
  2005 Chardonnay, Estate
• Windy Oaks Estate
  2006 “One Acre” Chardonnay, Estate

Multiple Vineyard SCM Blends

While single vineyard wines may be the most distinctive, the opportunity to balance influences impressed our evaluation panel as the most appealing way for a newcomer to experience the region as a whole. A regional blend is a great wine to choose for getting started in appreciating Santa Cruz Mountain characteristics: honey, lavender, tamarind, butterscotch, crisp acidity, lively minerality. One can expect a long, balanced line suitable for ageing. This is an easily acquired taste, which will pave the way to exploring the more uncompromising personalities of single vineyard wines from this region.

• Clos LaChance Vineyard
  2006 Chardonnay
• Hallcrest Vineyards
  2004 Chardonnay
• Hallcrest Vineyards
  2005 Chardonnay
• Storrs Winery
  2007 Chardonnay Cuvee

---

See the Complete List of Chardonnays advanced to the
Santa Cruz Mountains Best-of-Appellation™ List

---

Stay Tuned

It’s not surprising that the Scottish were the first to commercialize winemaking here. The resemblance to the foggy crags of the highland glens along the Spey is easy to see. Independent to the core, Scots have always fled to the hills to make their strong drink, far from prying eyes of British revenuers. What’s fascinating to me is that their stamp still manifests here. It shows up everywhere, in the tenacity and independence of its people, in winemaker-philosophers whom John Locke, John Knox and Robert Burns would surely have enjoyed as drinking companions, even in the stern, savage and sometimes even peaty character of its Chardonnay kings, a full gathering of which we were so privileged to linger over and probe intensely.

In November, I shall write about Pinot Noirs from the region, as part of our continuing series on this region. I daresay readers are well advised to strap in for more of my effusive enthusiasm. In this era of the jaded palate, I hope I will be forgiven. For those who can track down and taste for themselves these rare jewels extracted from the mountains’ heart, I am surely on safe ground with the Chardonnays, and I expect nothing less from the Pinot and Cabernet evaluation rounds forthcoming.