We’ve been championing the wines from the ultra-remote Peay
vineyard for a few years now. Planted in 1998, the vineyard turns 20 this year
and quality levels have never been higher.
The lion’s share of production goes
to Pinot Noir, followed by Chardonnay and Syrah (alongside minute quantities of
other varieties that don’t make it across the pond). The vineyard is nestled
amongst huge redwoods, 600 feet above sea level, four miles from the coast and within
the inversion layer. Effectively within the fog line, this a truly cool
Californian vineyard whose year round temperatures are moderated in a
meaningful way by the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. Contrary to being further
in-land, out on the coast the higher you get the warmer it becomes. At 600 feet
you hit something of a sweet spot, cool enough to moderate ripening but not so
affected by fog as to be constantly battling mildew. Being 600 feet lower than the lowest
vineyards in the nearby Fort Ross and Seaview AVA, (home to the likes of
Hirsch, Flowers and Martinelli) means that average yearly temperatures are
12-13 degrees lower at the Peay’s vineyard. That’s a meaningful drop. It is
hardly surprising they were repeatedly told that ripening grapes would be a
struggle out here and indeed today their tiny yields are testament to this
perilous spot. Truly, this is winemaking on the edge.