Scallop Shelf is obviously a typo. Shouldn’t it be Scallop Shell? Perhaps. When preparing the vineyard for planting, we found scallop and nautilus fossils in our soils. We researched the geology of the region and learned that we farm in an outcropping of marine soils. Our hilltop was a former sea-bed uplifted about 5-7 million years ago along the neighboring San Andreas Fault which created the bedrock of the Pacific Coast Ridges 250 million years ago. Like geology and want to know more? I suggest you read Vanessa’s article I Exert for Dirt. For our purposes, what is important to understand is we farm in nutrient poor marine soils, low in clay content, with moderate topsoil depth that drains slowly. This allows for our saturated soils – we get on average 60+ inches of rain per year – to retain just enough water to feed the vines as the water table drops for most, if not the entire, growing season. The poor soils mean we do not have to fight vigor from too much nitrogen or other nutrients; in fact, we add compost every year that we make from our pomace (skins, stems, yeast cells.)

Wine Advocate Review:
The 2021 Estate Pinot Noir Scallop Shelf is delicate and perfumed this year. Pale ruby-purple in the glass, it has pretty scents of red licorice and raspberry, lavender and saline, with mushroom undertones. The medium-bodied palate has a frame of chalky tannins and fireworks of fresh acidity. Despite its lifted character, it's bursting with floral fruit and has a long, perfumed finish. Give it a couple of years in bottle to unwind. Anticipated Maturity: 2025-2035