AVA - Santa Lucia Highlands
Sleep Hollow Vineyard is located in the Santa Lucia Highlands just west of Gonzales.
This 400+ acre vineyard is planted primarily to pinot noir and chardonnay over 30
years ago.
Warm, sunny days are bracketed by foggy mornings and evenings - creating large daily
temperature swings that help maintain acidity and pushing ripening out until late
in the season. The vineyard is very gravelly, ensuring excellent drainage - very
important for growing great pinot and chard. This vineyard provides fruit that creates
whites with citrus, floral and tropical notes, and reds with cherry, blackberry
and distinctive spice.
The Santa Lucia Highlands is made up of just over 20,000 acres and runs along a
southeast-facing slope that overlooks the Salinas Valley of Monterey County. This
AVA has one of the coolest and longest growing seasons in all of California with
average August high temperatures is the mid-70s. Significant winds and fog constantly
funnel through the valley from Monterey Bay, keeping the area cool and moist. But
the high moisture levels bring mildew, which is the biggest problem facing vineyards
in the Highlands.
These growing conditions are ideal for Burgundian varietals, with Chardonnay vineyards
taking up over half of the 2,300 acres of planted vineyards in the Highlands. The
Chardonnay here displays ripe apple and pear flavors while Pinot Noir, the runner-up
in popularity, shows a lush black cherry. Syrah is the up-and-coming star of the
Highlands with producers planting more and more vines in the warmer southern end
of the region. Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Blanc and Riesling
are also planted but less abundantly.