Black Ridge Vineyard

Black Ridge Vineyard is located south of Los Gatos, opposite Lexington Reservoir on Black Road. Being on the warmer side of the mountain range, this seems to be an unusual place for Pinot Noir at first sight. However, due to its location on the Highway 17 corridor to Santa Cruz, the vineyard inhabits a pass that is typically windy in the afternoon, keeping it chillier than one might think. Large bodies of water influence the cooling effect, and indeed its proximity to the reservoir must play a part to no small degree.

Although there are several Pinot Noir clones planted here, 115 and Pommard make up the largest share. Typical to the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, the wine expresses the high mineral content of the soils, balanced acidity and high phenolic content due to the wind effect on the grape skins. Authentic Pinot black cherry fruit characters are also a typical note in wine made here.