We ferment all of our Pinot Noir in small lots of between one and two tons. We utilize varying percentages of whole bunches (approximately 25-50%), tailored to each site, and ferment the wines without the addition of yeast. Our maceration period lasts from 10-21 days, often including a short per-fermentation cold soak. We age our Pinot Noir in 3 year air dried French Oak, exclusively from the forest of Chatillon. The wines are pressed in a traditional basket press and allowed to settle before barrelling. The wines spend two winters in barrel and are racked only at bottling.
Cold, whole-cluster pressing, no settling, barrel fermentation with native yeast and spontaneous malolactic fermentations highlight the wonderful purity inherent in our Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay. This 'hand off' approach in the cellar is allows for maximum site expression. We age ferment and age our Chardonnay in three year air-dried French Oak barrels, sur-lie with no batonage. Following 10-12 months in oak, the wines are racked, with their lees, to stainless steel for an additional four to six months of élevage.