The data
- Appellation
- Santa Cruz Mountains
- Elevation
- 400 ft
- Acreage
- 3.2 acres
- Distance to ocean
- 6.2 mi
- Geology
- Purisima formation (sea floor uplift)
- Soils
- Marine sandstone
- Varieties
- Chardonnay, Syrah
- Clones
- Chardonnay: Wente, Montrachet · Syrah: Serene
- Row orientation
- Chardonnay N–S · Syrah NE–SW
- Spacing
- 8 x 6
- Vine age
- 20 years
What this means in the wine
At 400 feet and 6.2 miles from the water, Marine Terrace ripens on its own schedule. Purisima formation (sea floor uplift) underneath keeps the vines lean and the wines tight through the middle; the marine sandstone holds just enough water to get through a dry September without stress.
Rows run chardonnay n–s · syrah ne–sw, planted 8 x 6. Vine age: 20 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.