Ascona

The data

Appellation

Santa Cruz Mountains

Elevation

2,400 ft

Acreage

13.5 acres

Distance to ocean

14.5 mi

Geology

Vaquero sandstone

Soils

Fine silt loam over calcareous sandstone

Varieties

Aligoté, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah

Clones

Chardonnay: Old Wente 72 & 76 · Aligoté: 652 Ascona Doré · Pinot Noir: Pommard 4 · Syrah: Ascona massale & 470

Row orientation

Chardonnay N–S · Aligoté various · Pinot Noir N–S · Syrah E–W

Spacing

8 x 5

Vine age

Chardonnay & Aligoté 10 years · Pinot Noir & Syrah 26 years

What this means in the wine

At 2,400 feet and 14.5 miles from the water, Ascona ripens on its own schedule. Vaquero sandstone underneath keeps the vines lean and the wines tight through the middle; the fine silt loam over calcareous sandstone holds just enough water to get through a dry September without stress.

Rows run chardonnay n–s · aligoté various · pinot noir n–s · syrah e–w, planted 8 x 5. Vine age: Chardonnay & Aligoté 10 years · Pinot Noir & Syrah 26 years. Older wood here gives smaller clusters and more concentrated, more savoury fruit than the young blocks, which is why we keep the lots separate in the cellar and usually bottle them that way too.