The Mountain Winery

Long ago, Paul Masson realized the shale soil on the mountain was perfect for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - infertile, well drained, with a capacity to hold just enough water.   When we re-established the vineyards in 2004, we followed Paul’s lead and planted 3.5 acres of Pinot Noir and 2.5 Acres of Chardonnay.

Around 2000, The Mountain Winery ownership approached Jeffrey Patterson, winemaker extraordinaire who was busy making his own critically acclaimed wines at Mount Eden.  It was a natural match, after all Mount Eden sits on the old Martin Ray property and Martin Ray was Paul Masson’s protégé. The relationship between the two properties had come full circle!

Our winemaker has continued the tradition of making Burgundian style wines, austere, well structured, and complex.   Like a fine burgundy, the Estate Pinot Noir can be laid down and continues to become more complex with age.  The Estate Chardonnay, while delicious today, becomes more succulent and luscious with each year spent in the bottle.

We have several clones that make up our Estate Pinot Noir, Dijon 828, Dijon 777, Clarera and Joseph Swan.  The Estate Chardonnay is the small cluster Old Wente Clone.

Our winemaker's strategy is to use yeast and malolactic bacteria that are indigenous to the environment, only intervening when necessary.