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Nielson Vineyard No other vineyard in Santa Barbara County offers the vine age and world-class character of the Nielson Vineyard, Santa Barbara County's first commercial vineyard planted in 1964. Located on the Santa Maria Bench in the foothills of the Tepusquet Mountain Range, the elevation of the Nielson Estate vineyard is 500 to 750 feet in elevation. The slope is approximately 15-20%. The vineyard features vines planted to the esteemed Estrella clonal selection of Syrah, some of which exceed 25 years of age. Ranked a Climatic Region I (the coolest of the five grape growing regions on the U.C. Davis scale), the Nielson Vineyard enjoys one of the longest, coolest growing seasons in California. Average summertime high temperature is a modest 75 degrees. Fruit from this cool vineyard contributes concentration, richness, and dark fruit qualities to Io, reminiscent of wines from the Northern Rhône Valley. Upper Bench The Upper Bench Vineyard (Nielson and Tepusquet) is located in eastern Santa Maria Valley at the foothills of the San Rafael Mountains. Coastal influences from the nearby Pacific Ocean keep temperatures moderately cool, help lengthen the growing season and promote slow, even ripening of the grapes. Climatic conditions are considered a warm Region I to a cool Region II on the U.C. Davis scale. Clones in the vineyard include the Durrell selection, which is known for complexity and richness, and Clone 01 of the Australian series, recognized for its forward fruit character. Ryan Road Vineyard Ryan Road Vineyard is located in northern San Luis Obispo County, east of the town of Atascadero. This certified organic vineyard was planted in 1998 using the Estrella clone and UCD Shiraz 06, the site consists of shallow, calcareous soils. Irrigation is carefully regulated with soil monitors, allowing only enough water for the vines to survive. The vineyard experiences warm days and cool nights and is considered a Region III on the UC Davis scale. These factors-shallow soil, irrigation control and warm climate-combine to produce very low vigor vines with small leaves and short shoots of only 30 to 35 inches in length. The berry size is less than one half the size of normal Syrah, which gives the wine rich expression and superb concentration. White Hawk Vineyard The White Hawk Vineyard is located in the Los Alamos Valley in Santa Barbara County. This area is quickly becoming well known for its superb vineyards. This Region II site was planted to Syrah clones 1 and 6, and is comprised of ancient sand dunes situated on the south-facing slope of Cat Canyon. The "Arnold Sand" series found here, which was developed over soft sandstone, has highly efficient draining properties. The vineyard is 21 miles west of the Pacific and is planted at 900 feet elevation with 15 - 45% slopes. The oft-present fog influence typically burns off by mid-morning. Farmed with sustainable (including integrated pest management) and primarily organic practices, the vineyard produces low-yielding vines (typically around 2.5 tons per acre). The small, dark berries have a strong core of acidity complemented by black fruit and gamey elements. |
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