As many of you know, the wines
of 2005 represent our 10th harvest here at Brewer-Clifton.
We are 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 SeaSmoke. 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 becomes our
monopole and we could not be more excited to have complete
access to this most revered and auspicious site.
|
