There are approximately 70 wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains. My favorite is the David Bruce Winery. Founded in 1964 it is one of the oldest wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Santa Cruz Mountains Appellation or American Viticultural Area (AVA) was first recognized in 1981. The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is an appellation zone centered around the Santa Cruz Mountains region. It cuts across three counties (Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo).
The Santa Cruz Mountains David Bruce Estate Vineyard is at 2, 200 feet. It has a southwest exposure overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The winery also produces wines from other appellation areas. These are the Central Coast, Paso Robles, Russian River Valley, Santa Clara Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, Santa Rita Hills and York Mountain.
David Bruce Winery's mission is to make the world's greatest Pinor Noir. It has been acknowledged both nationally and internationally for doing this. The winery produces 60,000 cases per year of Pinor Noir, Petite Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Chardonnay.
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| David Bruce Winery @ Spaswinefood |
We visited the winery on December 4, 2010 during a members only event. We tasted the following wines:
- 2006 Chardonnay Estate
- 2007 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
- 2008 Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley Reserve
- 2008 Pinot Noir Estate
After tasting all four my favorite one was 2008 Pinor Noir, Santa Maria Valley Reserve. The tasting notes describe it's nose as red currants, cranberries, strawberries, dark mulberries, rose petals with hints of crushed pepper corns; a palate of pomegrantes, dark cherries, dark mulberries, hints of cloves and cardamoms, with a firm yet velvety tannins. Then while talking to the server he offered me the 2001 Pinot Noir Estate to taste. The 2001 Pinot Noir Estate was excellent in comparison to 2008 Pinot Noir Estate, which I felt was good. I would certainly agree with the tasting notes for 2008 Pinot Noir Estate; that is, the palate is complex with a layered finish. We did buy a case of 2001 Pinot Noir Estate.
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| Vineyard in December © Spaswinefood |
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| Entrance to Tasting Room © Spaswinefood |
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| Display of Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast © Spaswinefood |
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| David Bruce Winery © Spaswinefood |
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| Roadside Sign © Spaswinefood |
You can check out online reviews of David Bruce at Snooth, Trip Advisory, Yahoo, and Yelp . It was great to visit the David Bruce Winery. We have always found the wine servers to be great. I would love to return for one of its estate dinners.
I invite you to join me in my travels in California and elsewhere at Spaswinefood, or you can visit my travel column at the Examiner.
I invite you to join me in my travels in California and elsewhere at Spaswinefood, or you can visit my travel column at the Examiner.
Sharon
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
December, 2010
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