Terroir, Terroir, Terroir
As any real estate agent will tell you… it’s all about location, and it is no different with vineyards. While some would translate ‘”terroir” to mean only soil – to a winegrower it encompasses much more.
Loosely, translated, terroir refers to the macro-climate – in our case, say coastal; meso-climate which depends upon the vineyard locale (for instance, in the case of Christie Vineyard, the unique warmth of Pleasant Valley with its south-facing slope and its elevation protecting it from coastal fog); the micro-climate which is the environment immediately around the vine canopy; and the soil type – its composition, its chemistry, its arability, its drainage; the topography of the site – knolls, hillsides, swales, elevation. In a few words, just about everything that affects fruit quality.
At Storrs we believe the Santa Cruz Mountains offers such diversity that you can find a near perfect site for most any varietal.
(Christie Vineyard in Santa Cruz Mountains)
Some, however, seem especially well suited – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and beyond that only time will tell. We feel that no other region outside of Burgundy and Chablis consistently produces Chardonnays of such complexity, depth and elegance. And cool climate Zins – ooh la la!
Winemaking wise – our philosophy is basically to step back and let nature take its course, for the most part. Our job, outside of totally hands-on vineyard work, comes when its time to select the barrels for the final wine that you will enjoy. This is the artistry of winemaking and no two domains would do it quite the same. Thus we can have many Echezeaux, but only one Domaine Romanée-Conti.
And so it is with Storrs…