Antonio Galloni wrote that “with its rugged hillside sites and an extraordinary range of microclimates that confer tremendous personality, there is little doubt the finest Santa Cruz Mountains wines are world-class in every way.” We’ve been fortunate to work with winemakers like Birichino and Arnot-Roberts who purchase fruit from these vineyards. And of course there’s the grande dame of the region in Mount Eden Vineyards.
Today we’re proud to have another of the great, foundational Santa Cruz Mountains estates in our portfolio: Thomas Fogarty Winery.
Founded in 1981, Fogarty epitomizes the variations seen in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with eight vineyards encompassing 30 acres, each with its own exposure, elevation, terroir, and slope. Ranging from 1,400-2,300 feet above sea level, the sites are set variously on shale, basalt, Purisima formation fossiliferous sandstone. Some of the vineyards are vertiginous in their steepness; some have western, maritime exposures, while others face east-northeast and soak up summer sunrises. All of them yield wines that uniquely express their roots in the Santa Cruz Mountains. To quote Galloni again, “each winery is its own little world.” In Fogarty’s case, each vineyard is, too.
