Winemaker Notes
This wine can be opened now but will improve over the years.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The more powerful side of the Santa Cruz Mountains comes through in the 2010 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard. Massive, incisive tannins frame black fruit, savory herbs and tar, in a sort of California version of Bonnes-Mares, with vertical tannins and great overall balance. I suppose the 2010 Home might lack just a touch of finesse, but it makes up for that with its compelling and deeply expressive personality. This is the first vintage that includes predominantly young vines from a recent replanting. It will be interesting to see how this site responds in future vintages, but I have to think the direction is pretty clear. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.
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.