Toyon

The data

Appellation

Santa Cruz Mountains

Elevation

480 ft

Acreage

3 acres

Distance to ocean

3 mi

Geology

Purisima formation

Soils

Sand, siltstone, traces of limestone

Varieties

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Clones

Chardonnay: Wente · Pinot Noir: Pommard, 667, 777

Row orientation

North to South

Spacing

6 x 8

Vine age

20 years

What this means in the wine

At 480 feet and 3 miles from the water, Toyon ripens on its own schedule. Purisima formation underneath keeps the vines lean and the wines tight through the middle; the sand, siltstone, traces of limestone holds just enough water to get through a dry September without stress.

Rows run north to south, planted 6 x 8. 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.