"I have to say, I love my Pinot Gris vineyards. These vineyards are just gorgeous, with every leaf and shoot neatly in place. The majority (75%) of the grapes come from our Cat Canyon Vineyard near Los Alamos. Block 1A-S is planted to Pinot Gris of clone 146 on Freedom rootstock, producing fruit with crisp acidity and fresh notes of lemon and lime. The wines from this block have a focused line of minerality running through them – a quality I have always admired in Alsatian Pinot Gris. The rest of the grapes for the blend are from two blocks in our North Canyon Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. Yields in this vineyard are typically quite low and the vines have to struggle to gain flavor in the meager soils, which are predominantly clay loam and some shale. Both vineyards turned out exceptional grapes this year, and there is a hint of tropical fruit, thanks to an unusually hot July. The 2006 Santa Barbara Pinot Gris has aromas of fresh lemon and pineapple, with a light floral note. The palate is clean and refreshing with flavors of grapefruit and a touch of spice. About 10% of the blend is barrel fermented in used French oak barrels just to fill out the mid-palate; the rest of the blend sees only stainless steel."
-- Natasha Boffman, Winemaker
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