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Vineyard at sunset.

Our Vineyards

Belle Glos showcases distinctive Pinot Noirs produced from some of California’s top wine-growing regions. The vineyard locations can all be described as coastal, but the climate differences are significant, depending on the amount of fog, wind, sunlight, and soil type at each site. Each wine is crafted to distill the purest essence of the vineyard into elegant expressions of California Pinot Noir.

Black and white image of a sheep in a vineyard.

Taylor Lane

At less than six miles from the Pacific Ocean and subject to sometimes ruthless fog and winds, the Taylor Lane Vineyard can make growing grapes an act of faith.

To achieve full maturity at this coastal site, we paired the early-ripening Dijon clones with an adapted traditional Italian trellis system that carries the vine shoots across a nearly horizontal canopy. The trellis acts as a solar panel for maximum ripening and permits dappled sunlight throughout the day and excellent air circulation to the fruit; its height also lets us graze sheep for weed control.

Black and white image of cool morning fog in Dairyman Vineyard.

Dairyman

Situated in the southern alluvial plains of the Russian River Valley, Dairyman Vineyard’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean results in a cool morning fog and afternoon coastal breezes that elongate the growing season.

This gives us small, concentrated and flavorful berries, producing bright cherry characteristics, brown spices, and a keen minerality overlaid with a rich, velvety mouth feel. Once an old dairy farm, the pastureland was planted to Dijon clone Pinot Noir in 2000, preserving the deep agricultural history of the property.

Black and white image of Eulenloch Vineyard.

Eulenloch

The only AVA that straddles both Sonoma and Napa counties, Carneros owes its uniqueness to its location along San Pablo Bay—a tidal estuary forming the northern reaches of the San Francisco Bay. This 10-mile-wide bay offers persistent, cooling fog and unrelenting breezes, making Carneros the coolest, windiest district in the Napa Valley region.

Our Eulenloch Vineyard is located in the Carneros region of Napa Valley and is predominantly comprised of clay soils which retain water but are remarkably shallow. When combined with the cool coastal breeze, these characteristics provide us with ripe fruit that is complex and nuanced. Our Eulenloch Pinot Noir offers structure, suppleness, length, and depth.

Black and white image of Las Alturas Vineyard.

Las Alturas

Las Alturas, meaning the “heights” or “Heavens”, is located on one of the highest-plantable sites in the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County, this pristine bench offers the Las Alturas Vineyard cool, coastal days with consistent sunshine and a foundation of Gloria sandy loam soil.

When planting this vineyard, we matched various Pinot Noir clones to individual slopes and soil attributes of the land. Our yields are deliberately kept low in order to preserve the fruit intensity these clonal choices have given us.

Black and white image of Clark & Telephone Vineyard.

Clark & Telephone

Clark & Telephone Vineyard, located near the corner of Clark Avenue and Telephone Road in the Santa Maria Valley, is cooled by wind and fog that snakes in from the Pacific Ocean along a channel of the Santa Maria River.

Established in 1972, the Clark & Telephone Vineyard was planted “own root” to the Martini clone. This heirloom clone of Pinot Noir, one of the first to grace the California coastlands, has become something of a lost treasure. The original vines at Clark & Telephone are the oldest producing vineyard in Santa Maria Valley to this day.

Sunrise with morning mist over scenic vineyard in California.

Glasir Holt

Located near the western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA less than 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean, our Glasir Holt vineyard harnesses the elements that are perfect for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

On the south side of the vineyard runs the Santa Ynez River and to the north, a calcareous hillside that has been carved out by ancient river flows, leaving the bench where we planted the vines rooted in layers of gypsum, sand and gravelly loam. Although our initial intentions were to grow only Pinot Noir here, a small portion of the land was nearly like crushed chalk, with a pH level reaching 9.5 (normal soils range from 5.5 to 7 pH). In this section we decided to plant Chardonnay in this very unique soil.

With the vines planted at a Northwest direction, this allows for the optimal amount of morning and afternoon sun light on the canopy and clusters. This high pH soil, extreme maritime impact, chilly summer days and mild nights provides optimum season dynamics for mineral driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

My goal with each of the Belle Glos pinot noirs is to express the genuine uniqueness of each site and to craft a layered, complex, fruit-forward and rich style that California’s coast should always be known for.

Winemaker Joseph Wagner signature.

Joseph Wagner, Owner and Winemaker

Our Winemaking Style

Extended Hang Time

Copper Cane Winery has redefined the modern winery with our unique approach to the winemaking process. When green grapevine canes begin to lignify, or turn to winter hardy wood they take a copper hue, this color shift signals that the green vegetal character and harsh tannins have been purged from the vine and that the grapes are physiologically ripe. Only then are the grapes ready for harvest. This is why Copper Cane only works with grapes. We never buy juice or bulk wine because we want to control all aspects from the vineyard to the bottle.

Cryo-extraction

We use freezing methods, such as dry ice, to initiate the winemaking process upon harvesting in the vineyard. Dry ice is layered as the grapes are picked and the process of cryo-extraction begins, freezing the grape skins and allowing the cell walls within the skins (which is where color and flavor compounds are found) to rupture, beginning the extraction of the phenolics. This makes the color compounds and flavors more accessible during fermentation.

Destemming the Grape Clusters

Destemming consists of separating grapes from the stems. The process of removing the grape berries from the stems begins once the grapes have been harvested and bought in to the winery. Grape stems contain high concentrations of tannin, leaving them in the “must” (berries, juice, pulp, and seed) during cold soak and fermentation would result in a wine with harsh, green tannin. Removing this element allows us to showcase the natural lush fruit flavours we like to taste in our wines.

Extended Cold Fermentation

Cold fermentation is a technique where, as soon as the grapes and juice are in the tank, we quickly reduce the temperature of the grapes using cryo-extraction methods to near freezing, 20-30 degrees cooler than most wineries maintain. We also extend this period of cold fermentation to three to four weeks, where other wineries typically complete this in one week. Extended cold fermentation results in more supple tannins, lush fruit notes, and deeper, richer color.

Barrel Stripping

Before the wine can be placed in barrels for maturation, we have to pep them. Sulphur Water Soak, or extended steam treatment is our technique for slowly leaching out tannins and leaving behind the subtle oak nuances – such as toasted, vanilla, and delicious spice characters that we do not want in our wines. This eliminates the coarseness that a new barrel can contribute and maintains the elements we desire. We do not add water to our must/juice (no amelioration). We do not add sugar to our grapes (no chaptalization). We do not add acid to our grapes (no acidification).