As many of you know, the wines of 2007 represented our 12th harvest here at Brewer-Clifton. We were very proud of this event, and humbly grateful at the same time. Over the past decade we have realized many dreams. The Sta. Rita Hills has developed into a truly phenomenal appellation with chardonnay and pinot noir that rivals any in the world. Only now do we remember how scarce fruit sources were in the region when we started production in1996.

Our present good fortune is highlighted by the opportunity to nurture and receive 100% of the fruit from the vines planted at Mount Carmel located in the heart of our appellation. This has afforded us the opportunity to assemble what, in our opinion, is a premier team of grower associates lead by Francisco Ramirez, with soil consultation from Stan Kadota and pest management assistance from Kelly Clark. Our newly founded vine management team allows us far greater understanding and interaction with all of our sites, and for us is the perfect first step into a new era for Brewer-Clifton. With more accurate information, skilled vineyard practices, and expedited transportation of fruit we are confident in our ability to take our expression to a new and higher level.

The Mount Carmel vineyard is a steep, south-facing and celestial vineyard that was planted by Ron Piazza and Paul Abrecht in 1991 in accordance with a cloistered order of Carmelite nuns. There are currently 15 acres of pinot noir (clones 667, 2A, 5, 115, 777 and Mount Eden) and 7 acres of chardonnay (Wente clone). Most of the vines are self-rooted and have been dry-farmed for years. The vineyard overlooks the Sanford & Benedict property and is just west of Sea Smoke. The vineyard is brutally influenced by the marine winds due to its severe elevation and aspect. Soils are a diverse combination of botella clay, limestone, diatomaceous earth, calcareous deposits and sandy loam. With the 2005 vintage, this special site became our monopole and we could not be more excited to have complete access to this most revered and auspicious site.