Winery & Vintage Info
The winery's original name, La Crema Vinera, means "best of the vine," setting the standard for all they've done since 1979. The family-owned and operated winery focuses exclusively on cool-climate appellations, continually exploring these very special regions - passionate in their belief that they make uniquely expressive and elegant wines.
The Monterey AVA consists of a long valley stretching from the uniquely cold Monterey Bay to the far Southeast reaches of the Salinas Valley. An ever-present breeze and maritime influence rise from the ocean cooling wide expanses of rolling vineyards. The fruit for this wine is sourced from multiple vineyards across the Monterey AVA including their Gravel-stone and Clark estate vineyards. Vineyards located in North Monterey bring juicy fruit notes while the vineyards in the South bring riper fruit flavours.
After the grapes were picked, they were gently pressed and allowed to settle for 24 hours before being racked to a mix of French and American oak barrels for fermentation. 15% of the barrels were con-inoculated with a house strain of malolactic bacteria which were later used to top of the remainder of the barrels after primary fermentation was completed. A small portion of the wine was racked to stainless steel tanks for fermentation which added an element of juicy acidity and aromatics to the finished wine. Lees were stirred monthly to increase complexity and mouthfeel. The finished wine was aged for five to six months in oak barrels before final blending and bottling.
