Now in its third year, Pinot Paradise was conceived by Dave Moulton, owner and winemaker at Burrell School Vineyards and Winery, to celebrate the complex and elegant Pinot Noir being produced in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Highly regarded Pinot Noirs were made in the area by Paul Masson in the days before Prohibition. His protégé, Martin Ray, carried on the torch and eventually passed it to Jeffrey Patterson of Mt. Eden, who continues the tradition of making Burgundian-style Pinots from the estate vineyard.

There is no doubt that the number of acres of Pinot planted in the area has skyrocketed since the beginning of this decade, with many vineyards grafting over from Chardonnay or Merlot and also a phenomenal number of new plantings. Wholesale changes in viticultural and winemaking practices, including new clones, improved canopy management, new trellising techniques, and sustainable agricultural practices, are consistently yielding higher quality Pinot throughout the appellation. One of the primary viticulture experts in the area, Prudy Foxx, has made it her personal quest to improve the practices of growing Pinot, with an emphasis on sustainability and organic methods.

Into the Nitty Gritty

One of the highlights of this year’s event will be the Technical Sessions, which take place on Sunday morning, An excellent program is planned which will offer in-depth seminars on the growing and making of Pinot Noir in this challenging appellation with presentations by experts in the field. John Haeger, author of North American Pinot Noir, and a former columnist with Wine & Spirits magazine, will discuss the evolution of Pinot Noir in North America, specifically giving contextual and comparative information about Pinot Noir in Burgundy.

This will be followed by a discussion of SCM terroir with Prudy Foxx, Vineyard Consultant, and Jim Schultze, proprietor of Windy Oaks Estate Vineyards and Winery. They will discuss soil types, clones, various trellising techniques, pruning practices and other vineyard activities.

The third topic will be “Barrels – From Forest to Furnace,” presented by Jerome Aubin, representing Tonnellerie Rousseau, Burgundy, France. Jerome will describe the importance of barrels in the Pinot Noir aging process, e.g. the wood which is chosen for oak barrels, toasting levels, new French oak vs. used French oak, and so forth.

The sessions will conclude with Pinot Noir Regional Tastings, led by Jeff Bareilles, Sommelier, Manresa Restaurant, the only Michelin 2-Star restaurant in Los Gatos. Wines will include comparison examples from Santa Barbara, Santa Lucia, Santa Cruz Mountains, Russian River, and the Willamette Valley. The sessions will be held at Sonoma Chicken Coop next door to Villa Ragusa and will include lunch at the restaurant. Tickets for this tasting are $65. www.scmwa.com

Inside the Wines: What the Winemakers are Pouring and Saying

This year, there will be over 30 Pinot producers from the region, which is gaining an increasingly stellar reputation for its distinctive Pinots and Chardonnays. New this year to the event are Hunter Hill and Vine Hill Winery, the latter on the site formerly occupied by Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard. Jeff Emery retained the name, so new owner Nick Guerrero chose to rename the location Vine Hill in deference to the area’s long winegrowing history. In addition to current, award-winning releases, many wineries will be pouring barrel samples of 05’s.

In talking with some of the winemakers from the region, it is clear that the demand for Pinot from this appellation is escalating. Although there are many styles, there is a consensus that Pinots from this region are earthy, intense, laden with minerality and possessed of a soul of bracing acidity, allowing them the structure to age and also making them spectacular food wines.

Jim Schultze, of Windy Oaks Estate, who along with his wife Judy, helped organize the Technical Sessions, is emphatic about his views of Pinot from this appellation. “Pinot from the Santa Cruz Mountains is earthy, intense, minerality and complex. We will be pouring our two newest releases at Pinot Paradise--our 2004 Proprietor's Reserve and our 2005 Diane's Block. Of course, both are estate grown and produced, and are unfiltered and unfined. Our vineyards have a very long, cool growing season, and this makes a very Burgundian style of Pinot Noir with great complexity and depth. We think Pinot Paradise is a great event because it showcases a lot of smaller vineyards and wineries which produce a wide variety of Pinot Noirs, reflecting the unique and varied terroirs of the Santa Cruz Mountains.”

Dave Moulton, owner/winemaker of Burrell School Winery, who chairs Pinot Paradise, says this is event has a devoted following and is among the best opportunities the public has to explore the incredible variety of Pinots being produced here. “We are so pleased at the way this event is growing. We have two new wineries this year, which is exciting. Hunter Hill will be pouring their estate Pinot Noir, for which they grafted over their Merlot: the ultimate sacrifice! And Vine Hill continues the great tradition of winegrowing that began in the Santa Cruz Mountains back in the 1850s.” Burrell School Winery will be pouring the 2004 Estate Pinot Noir, which has yet to be released, as well as a barrel sample of the 2005 Estate vintage, both from vineyards which boast four different clones of Pinot, including 05, 115, 667 and 777.

Says Moulton, “Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir is all about intensity, structure and depth. My estate fruit is so big and powerful, I have no qualms about throwing all the new French oak at it that I can. The dimensions from each of the clones combine to make an immense Pinot that really needs wood to round out the palate.” Tastings of the 2005 reveal an incredibly complex, rich, sensual wine, oozing raspberry fruit which continues the Burrell School tradition of earthy, luxurious and mouth-filling estate Pinot.

Bargetto Winery Director of Winemaking, John Bargetto, told me that they will be pouring their 2004 Reserve Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir from the Regan Estate Vineyard. They just received a 92 Point rating for this wine from Wine Enthusiast. "This is a wonderful opportunity for our Santa Cruz Mountains vintners to show our Pinot Noirs, a variety uniquely suited for our region. Pinot Noir remains the hottest red varietal in the country now. And it is Bargetto Winery's best selling SCM varietal."

Nick Guerrero of Vine Hill Winery adds, “Participating in the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Pinot Paradise has been a goal of ours since the inception of the event. Vine Hill Winery is focused on making high quality Pinot Noir. We wish to be part of the vanguard of Santa Cruz area wineries which are working to raise the awareness of outstanding Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir in the minds of wine lovers everywhere.” Nick and winemaker Sal Godinez will be pouring their 2004 and 2005 Santa Cruz Pinot Noir vintages under the Gatos Locos (Crazy Cats) label.

Continues Nick, “At Vine Hill, we are excited to have this opportunity to produce a wine which is elegant and fun at the same time. The smile on Winemaker Sal Godinez's face spreads from ear to ear when he thinks about the future of Santa Cruz Pinot Noir.”

Head to Silver Mountain Vineyard on Saturday as part of the Pinot Pathways event and you will be treated to a great list of wines under the Silver Mountain and Sonnet labels. In addition, they will be doing a very special tasting of 30+ year old French Burgundies from winemaker Jerold O’Brien’s private wine cellar. This begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday – a great way to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day. The wines will be paired with rare cheeses, paté and condiments, plus chocolates. Price is $35 per person for the special Pinot tasting and food pairing; Wine Club members: $20 per person. RSVP in advance required. Please call the winery at 408-353-2278 or email to info@silvermtn.com

On Saturday, you will be able to taste the following current and new release Pinot Noirs:

Silver Mountain:
- 2004 Santa Cruz Mountains, Miller Hill Vineyard - *PreRelease!
- 2003 Santa Cruz Mountains, Miller Hill Vineyard
- 2004 Santa Lucia Highlands, Tondre Grapefield


Sonnet Wine Cellars:
- 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains, Muns Vineyard - New Release!
- 2005 Santa Lucia Highlands, Tondre's Grapefield - New Release!
- 2004 York Mountain, Kruse Vineyard

When asked to characterize Sonnet Cellars Pinots, spokesperson Mary Lindsay noted, “Sonnet exhibits the artistry for sublime Pinot Noirs for which winemaker Tony Craig is known. Sonnet Pinots, routinely awarded high ratings, are characterized by their elegance; balance; silky, sensuous mouthfeel; and the ability to age beautifully – all of which shine in the 2005 Muns Vineyard. Black cherry fruits with nutmeg and cinnamon notes, and the distinct mineral quality of the Santa Cruz Mountains. A big Pinot, but elegant, structured, balanced: it is an exceptional example from the phenomenal 2005 vintage.”

Vine Hill’s Nick Guerrero also had something to say about the different microclimates in the appellation. “The Santa Cruz AVA has several subclimates and two of these are ideal for making outstanding Pinot Noir. In the northern part of Santa Cruz County, the high elevation vineyards (those above 1,000 feet elevation) produce a fruit which expresses an intense white pepper characteristic in addition to the strawberry, cherry and chocolate flavors also found in traditional Pinot Noir. In the southern part of the county where elevations hover around 600 feet, the fruit is fruit forward, jammy and luscious. Both subclimates also produce a wine which is balanced from the beginning. At harvest, the grapes contain the right mixture of sugar and acid and they need little coaxing to produce their magic.”

About the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA

The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA was federally recognized in 1981 and was among the first winegrowing appellations to be defined by geophysical and climatic factors. This region, which encompasses the entire range of the Santa Cruz Mountains from Half Moon Bay to Mt. Madonna in the south, is truly paradise for producing elegant, classic Pinot Noir. The marine influence, mountain terrain, and distinctive soils work together to create intensely concentrated fruit which yields some of the most distinctive and age-worthy examples of Pinot Noir in California.

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Check out Santa Cruz Mountain Pinot Noirs at the Appellation America Wine Store.

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~ Laura Ness, Regional Correspondent