Branciforte

The data

Appellation

Santa Cruz Mountains

Elevation

700 ft

Acreage

3.7 acres

Distance to ocean

5.8 mi

Geology

Purisima formation

Soils

Calcareous marine sandstone

Varieties

Pinot Noir

Clones

Massale selection, Pommard

Row orientation

East to West

Spacing

9 x 6

Vine age

36 years

What this means in the wine

At 700 feet and 5.8 miles from the water, Branciforte ripens on its own schedule. Purisima formation underneath keeps the vines lean and the wines tight through the middle; the calcareous marine sandstone holds just enough water to get through a dry September without stress.

Rows run east to west, planted 9 x 6. Vine age: 36 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.