The History of the Estate is
as Rich as the Soil Itself
Following the Spanish settlement of the Monterey Bay region, Mexico began granting land in California in 1822. Uniquely, our property comprised the borders of two such grants; Ranchos Los Corralitos and Soquel Augmentation. Each was family run and developed with an emphasis on ranching. These vast parcels of land included cattle pastureland, farming, timber management and areas of natural brush. By the late 1800s, the two ranchos were consolidated and land use transferred to a concentration on farming. By 1909, the Pajaro Valley was producing and shipping more apples than any other region in the world. Our present day vineyards are planted where apples grew for close to 100 years. The unique green apple crispness of our Chardonnay is reminiscent of the history of our land and celebrates those who worked the soil before us.
THE VINEYARDS AND OLIVE GROVE
Just 10 minutes from the beach at an elevation of approximately 675 feet our vines enjoy the best of the appellation. From early morning fog blanketing the vineyard, sunny afternoons, to cool breezy evenings, the dramatic temperature swing creates complex fruit profiles.
Our estate vineyards consist of 3 blocks. The Chardonnay "A" Block (1.5 acres) is located on the west side of the property and is planted where apples grew for nearly 100 years. Our Brooks' Block Pinot Noir (1.5 acres), named after our son, is planted with Pommard and Dijon clones and produces small clusters of berries with intense earthy flavors. The Three Sisters Pinot Noir block (.75 acres), named for our daughters, was planted in 2006. It is our youngest and smallest block, planted with 100% Dijon clones. These vines produce beautiful, small clusters with flavors of sweet red fruit.
As a perfect complement to the estate vines, we have 3.5 acres of Tuscan olive trees. Vines and olives have grown next to each other for centuries. Each November, our grove produces olives that vary in size and shape. All varietals are excellent oil producers. The trees have allowed us to continue a family tradition of producing estate olive oil and curing olives for personal use. Planted in 2006, our oil is wonderfully spicy. In our eyes, it is liquid gold.
