About Foley Estate Winery:
Located in Santa Barbara County's Santa Rita Hills AVA, Rancho Santa Rosa represents one of the most ambitious hillside vineyard endeavors in Santa Barbara County. As part of the original Spanish Land Grant the 460-acre Rancho Santa Rosa property is one of Santa Barbara's most historic parcels.
Purchased in 1998 by William Foley II, the stunning property boasts a magnificent south-facing hillside that extends nearly 500 feet in elevation to 1000 feet above sea level. The expansive hillside has a variety of soil types and exposures, which coupled with the property's direct exposure to the Pacific Ocean creates an ideal vineyard setting for the cultivation of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. During the summer months the vineyard site is tempered by a continual marine influence, which lengthens the growing season and allows for a longer, steadier ripening period.
At 460-acre size, Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard is farmed with the painstaking care and attention usually associated with much smaller vineyards. This process of micro farming, is reminiscent of the practices of the famed Cotes d'Or of Burgundy.
Foley's estate vineyard Rancho Santa Rosa is planted to just 8-acres of Syrah. The site-specific conditions, coupled with Santa Barbara's arid climate allows the Syrah to reach a developed maturity even in such a cool growing region as the Santa Rita Hills AVA.
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