Solomon Hills Vineyard is known to many as the coldest vineyard in the region. The cold ocean wind off of the Pacific whistles directly through the hills, on its way towards the desert. Located only 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean, our Estate wines always show a special balance between bright and fruity tones, of which California are always know, and more secondary flavors of underbrush, dried florals and damp vegetation. We select a small portion of Pommard clone, planted in 1999, to highlight these less fruit dominated notes. Clones 115 and 667 give us the fresh wild strawberry, pomegranate and raspberry notes of which Pinot Noir from very cold regions is known. The free-draining soils lend to the direct tannins and the balance which comes from these elements is captivating. Fermentation always happens naturally, and we never fine or filter. The amount of whole cluster varies depending on vintage, but generally around 30%. We age the wines for 18 months in 30% new French oak.
The vines grow in a very cold spot of Santa Maria Valley AVA on entirely beach sand soils. Since the climate is so cold, the wines are often considered the best examples of Burgundian style in the United States. They consistently receive rave reviews from press like Vinous, Wine Enthusiast, Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Advocate.
The Estate Wines of Bien Nacido & Solomon Hills are always naturally fermented, and the chardonnay only sees about 20% new oak, while the Pinot Noir has slightly more at 33%. We always use 100% French Oak from Meursault, from a small barrel producer called Damy.
While the wines remain fresh and bright, they do see 100% malolactic fermentation and have a softer creamier body. The wines are never fined or filtered, and in most vintages, less than 300 cases of each wine are made.
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