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 Central Coast The Salinas Valley is a diverse winegrowing region that begins at Monterey Bay and runs 75 miles southeastward. Flanked by the Santa Lucia Mountains to the west and the Gabilan Mountains to the east, the valley becomes a wind tunnel, drawing fog and cold air off the Pacific Ocean. This rugged, maritime climate provides an unusually long growing season, resulting in smaller crops of well-balanced grapes with concentrated varietal flavor. The north end of the valley, closest to Monterey Bay, is exceptionally cool. In the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation, our Hillside and Bianchi Vineyards benefit from extended exposure to spring and summer morning fog, and from the shade of the dramatic rise of the Santa Lucia Mountains. This shade prompted John Steinbeck to label the mountains "dark and brooding," but the cool, shady afternoons prolong the growing season by delaying photosynthesis. The cool climate and sandy, well-drained soils of these vineyards provide ideal conditions for Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay, Johannisberg Riesling and Pinot Noir. Older than the Santa Lucia Mountains, the Gabilan Mountains have well-drained, decomposing granitic soils, interspersed with pockets of clay and sand. The Gabilan Vineyard experiences slightly warmer daytime temperatures and a more vigorous wind than the vineyards across the valley. With these small differences in climate, the Gabilan Vineyard produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that complement the fruit from the Santa Lucia appellation. Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot are sourced mid-valley, while Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the warmer, southern end of the valley. The flat-to-gently-rolling Sweetwater, Terra Ventosa and San Lorenzo Vineyards near King City, and the Pine Creek Vineyard in San Ardo, provide warm, windy afternoons and well-drained sandy soils for grapes of intense flavor. North Coast In Mendocino and Lake Counties, summer daytime temperatures are warm, reaching the high eighty and ninety degrees, while cold nights often dip into the thirties and low forties. This fluctuation contributes deep color, soft tannins and approachable fruit character to red wines. The majority of Robert Mondavi Private Selection Zinfandel comes from the Ukiah Valley in Mendocino County, where the bench land soils of the Yokayo and Lovers Lane Vineyards are ideal for this variety. Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in the Bald Eagle Vineyard in the higher elevations of Potter Valley in Mendocino County. |
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| Robert Mondavi Private Selection > Inside Robert Mondavi Private Selection > Region/Climate | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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