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Our vineyards, first planted in 1998, occupy 200 acres on a northern facing hillside within
the greater Kingston Family estate. Situated at the southwestern end of Casablanca, our
marginal site is a significant 10°F cooler than Casablanca winery Veramonte further east.
Our well-drained, low fertility soil is primarily red clay loam with decomposed granite.
Several of the most promising selections of Pinot Noir and Syrah are planted in the upper
reaches of the vineyard on their own roots. We applied the best Californian knowledge to
every aspect of vineyard design, and our vineyard practices are modeled on the best New World
vineyards. We farm at very low yields, typically 2 to 3 tons per acre, a must to ripen our
crop. Like the great vineyards of Europe, we are well into cold nights and short days by the
time our grapes are ready to harvest, but the payoff is in the intensity and vibrancy of the
fruit. Last year, we picked our last lot of Syrah in May (the equivalent of November in
California or France).
Casablanca Valley
Coastal Chile is a more dramatic version of California, with narrower valleys, and much
higher mountains. The Casablanca Valley lies about 12 miles from the ocean and is
surrounded by rolling forested hills. The ocean's icy Humboldt Current cools Casablanca,
in ways analogous to the northern coast of California. The climate is mild and the season
is long. The Casablanca Valley feels like the Central Coast, or perhaps the Sonoma Coast
of California (even the plants look similar), but at a higher elevation. Our hillside
vineyards sit at an altitude of 1,640 feet, at latitude 33.20°, and longitude 71.26°.
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