Ceritas Peter Martin Ray Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, USA 2021

Nestled high in the hills at 1,800 feet above the town of Saratoga lays Peter Martin Ray vineyard, our highest site. This vineyard is steeped in history dating back to the 1920s when stockbroker-turned-winemaker Martin Ray planted the original Chardonnay vines. It was brave to grow in such meager Franciscan shale soils without any measurable topsoil.

When Martin Ray’s son, Peter Martin Ray, took over the farming of this site, he replanted the Mt. Eden clone of Chardonnay in the early 1980s and continued to work the Rixford clone Cabernet Sauvignon planted in the 1920s. The Cabernet Sauvignon is a throwback to the earliest Cabernet Sauvignon made in California. It is taught, vibrant, and boasts refined tannins and singularity unlike any Cabernet other than the neighboring Ridge Monte Bello wines. Small berries characterize the Chardonnay on tiny clusters; this fruit yields a distinctive wine for its salty, mineral palate, persistent flavors, and lingering finish. What makes this fruit so remarkable is a direct result of the vines’ constant struggle: raw farmed with minimal artificial input; the vines are constantly seeking water, nutrients, and sustenance from deep in the hillside.