Don’t know if this article has a thread yet. I had hoped Jancis would get into a little more depth.
‘These obsessively planted and tended vineyards are producing some of the most ambitious Pinot Noir being made anywhere’
Imagine a wine region where you can find a serious rival to first growth bordeaux within a mile and a half of vineyards clearly capable of challenging grand cru burgundy. That is the extraordinary reality of the wooded tangle of the Santa Cruz mountains between the Pacific and Silicon Valley.
That mile and a half is pretty difficult to traverse!
The canyon in between is the coldest place I know of in this area. I’m not sure of its effect on the microclimates on the hills, but it’s not surprising that they would be substantially different. It’s a fascinating and beautiful place.
Who the hell cares how old the freekin’ rocks are? If age were such a useful determinate of quality, the Canadian Shield (mostly precambrian) would be Vinland.