Elevation: 1200?
Clone/Selection: Mt. Eden
Soils: Lompico-Felton Series; Sandy Loam
Vine Density: 6?x8?
Farming: Organic
Planted: 1980-1990
The Legan Vineyard is a rugged, own-rooted planting of Pinot Noir situated at 1,200? above the tiny community of Corralitos on the west side of the Southern Santa Cruz Mountains. The vineyard was painstakingly planted with cuttings from Mount Eden by Tom Legan in two phases: the upper hill in 1980 and the lower ten years later in 1990. The hearty vines on this site cling to a steeply eroding sandstone hillside, surrounded by the dense Redwood forest of Eureka Canyon, just above Monterey Bay. With the deepest underwater canyons on the West Coast of North America (at up to 11,000 feet deep,) the Monterey Bay sees a continuous upwelling of cold water that acts as a natural air conditioner for onshore winds, cooling the entire region. This powerful fruit-ripening moderator along the coast allows for a long, steady growing season that coaxes delicate nuance from Pinot Noir grown here. This vineyard spoke to us the moment we set foot here in 2012. Thanks to the meticulous work and stewardship by ace viticulturist Prudy Foxx, the vines are happier than they have been in years. The wines produced from Legan are alive with pretty, elegant, transparent and delicate hues that interplay with the more brooding elements of forest floor and damp earth.