Terroir - Domaine de la Côte

Unique terroir makes extraordinary wine. As grape vines grow and dig deeper into the dirt they pull water and nutrients from the soil around them. By some natural phenomena - one not entirely understood - the fruit of these vines also picks up flavor characteristics from its soil. Great wines made from fruit grown in the finest terroirs will exhibit distinct identifying traits that simply cannot be replicated.

The rock pictured above was pulled directly from the dirt in the La Côte vineyard of Domaine de la Côte. There are millions just like it all around this vineyard, which is located in the Santa Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara. It came from sedimentary rock known as "Monterey Formation" which can be found along California's central coast. This rock contains tight stratifications of calcareous/diatomaceous rock, oil rich sandstone, and even a bit of iron.

The best part about all of this nerdy geology stuff is that the wines from this vineyard really do taste like this terroir! The calcareous/diatomaceous rock imparts a clean underlying salinity & minerality. The bit of oil adds depth and richness. The iron provides complexity and a touch of rusticity. If you have the pleasure to taste wine from this small and illustrious vineyard, sit back and try to pick out the effects that the unique terroir has imparted on the finished wines. It's an amazing thing to experience!
.