The Santa Maria Valley appellation, first established in 1981, is within the Central Coast AVA of California and offers a distinct cool-weather microclimate that is producing remarkable expressions of Burgundian varietals. Many producers are making examples on par with the outstanding wines coming out of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The Santa Maria Valley and the nearby Sta. Rita Hills are the only two appellations on the entire west coast of North and South America that have transverse mountain ranges, which means that they are east-west oriented. The result is an inimitable microclimate that creates a natural funnel that pulls cool air off the Pacific and channels it into the vineyards. With a significantly lower temperature, the Santa Maria Valley enjoys one of the longest growing seasons in California and delivers Pinot Noir that is closer to a Burgundy than anything in the state of California. The warm, drought-laden 2013 vintage resulted in wines of incredible concentration that still retain excellent balance.

 

Presqu’ile is the culmination of a century of Louisiana agriculturalists that comprise two, currently involved, generations. Although Matt Murphy was the first of the family to delve into wine, his parents and siblings fell in love with life in the vines soon thereafter. After searching the west coast for the perfect terroir to call home, they finally settled on an advantageously situated 200-acre site, between 700-1000 feet elevation, in the Santa Maria Valley. Named after their Creole roots, Presqu’ile translates to, “almost an island,” and is a nod to the Gulf Coast family haven lost in Hurricane Katrina as well as an island amidst the vines. The already talented team at Presqu’ile also utilizes the talents of consulting winemaker, Jeremy Seysses, who is co-proprietor and winemaker of Burgundy’s famed Domaine Dujac. Jeremy lends his inherited brilliance with regard to farming, harvest time, winemaking, and input on final blends over his several visits throughout the year. Derived from unique clones rooted in sandy loam soil just sixteen miles from the Pacific, their Pinot Noir is certified sustainable and is hand-harvested. The wine is crafted in a state-of-the-art gravity-flow winery in as natural a way as possible. The wine is made with only native yeasts, 65% whole clusters and is aged for 18 months in just 55% new French oak before it is bottled without fining or filtration. The result delivers a pure snapshot of Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir at its best.