Winemaker Notes
The Aptos Creek Vineyard is hidden in the Forest of Nisene Marks near the Village of Aptos. Vines were planted in the early 90s on this very sandy site that sits barely above sea level and near the bay. Like most of the Ghostwriter sites, this one is cool and foggy most of the growing season and very marginal. We don’t know what clones are here or where they came from, but the result is tiny bb size berries on golf ball size clusters.
The Aptos Creek is dependably the most dark and brooding of the Ghostwriter Pinot Noirs. The wine can be quickly overstated with stem usage or any kind of extended maceration so we try to keep the fermentation quick, cool, and gentle. Natural tannin do seem to lend themselves to some new oak so we use about 10% new oak from the Jupille and Troncais forests.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Elegant floral aromatics are underpinned by rich notes of cherry, oak and touches of cola and bacon. It's solid, vigorous and concentrated in the mouth, with lively acidity alongside ripe raspberry fruit, earthy mushroom tones, sweet cherry and black pepper. Fine length. Drinking Window 2018 - 2023
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A rugged and topographically diverse cool-climate appellation with a rich history, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA stretches from Half Moon Bay, just south of San Francisco, to the northern border of Monterey County. Elevations range from 800 feet to upwards of 3,000 and microclimates vary substantially depending on which side of the mountains the vineyards lie; cool ocean winds and fog play an important role here. This can be a challenging region in which to grow grapes, but it is well worth the effort. Santa Cruz Mountains wines are noted for balanced acidity levels, often showing great aging potential. Wine has been made here since the 1800s, most notably from the legendary Ridge Vineyards, whose Monte Bello vineyard garners international admiration.
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the stars of this region, while Merlot and Zinfandel also perform quite well. Organic and sustainable vineyard practices are becoming increasingly common.