The Terroir

The original plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes grown on Ferrari Vineyards (established 1980) are planted on west-facing hillsides with significant slope (20 to 50% gradient) above the beautiful Browns Valley portion of Corralitos.  This area is known for its tremendous ability to grow a wide variety of unique fruits and flowers with luscious flavors and exotic blooms.   

The soils have diverse mineralogy and contain colluvial sands, silts and gravels washed down from upslope areas of the Santa Cruz Mountains that form the decomposed Baywood loamy sands that dominate the site.  The material the soils are derived from are primarily the Aromas Formation. Deposits contain materials that date from 12,000 to 2,850,000 years old.  These soils offer a huge range of aged plant-available mineral diversity and include ancient dune deposits blown in from offshore ages ago when sea level was 400’ lower than it is now.  

Soils are deep and uniform with excellent drainage and thermal mass that heats and cools quickly in response to environmental conditions.  The slopes maximize sunlight and retain heat for premium fruit maturation. 

The area experiences foggy, cooling morning events that quickly give way to warm sunshine and soft, breezy afternoons.  This pattern offers a morning cleansing of the fruit followed by the warm afternoon sun and cool nighttime temperatures.  The wide swing of temperatures reacts with chemical components in the fruit to develop rich, complex, and mature flavors held up by lasting structural acidity in the wine.