Heart O' the Mountain Winery

Last week my wife and I went up to Heart O' the Mountain Winery above Scotts Valley for a special wine tasting event. This is a relatively new winery that only does Pinot Noir, and has only had two publicly available releases (the '05 and the '06) but they've both been gold medal winners and very well received.

The wine is great, but the really cool thing about Heart O' the Mountain for me is that they're on the former Hitchcock estate. This was Alfred and Alma's weekend getaway from about 1940 to about 1970 or so (they sold it in '74, but hadn't been up for a few years before that due to declining health).

I'd actually gone in search of this house before, but not quite found it. Turns out, I was on the right path, and had identified the correct driveway, but that there were still two or three locked gates between me and actually seeing anything. As a life-long Hitchcock fan it was a great thrill to finally be on the estate property and see the house and courtyard, which is still pretty much the same as when Hitch was there entertaining Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman, and Jimmy Stewart.

Unfortunately, none of the wine is from Hitchcock's vineyard, or the original 1881 vineyard. By the time this family bought the place in '78, those vines were all dead and buried, so they've had to replant the entire estate over the last decade.

We have now tasted some of their '04 (unlabeled and never for sale), the '05, the '06, and '07 from the barrel. All very yummy, and the progression is heading in a very powerful and flavorful direction. We've also had pairings of their '06 side-by-side with French wines from plants in the same family. The French version was beautifully dry and tannic. Heart O' the Mountain's had that, plus a full fruit body that was pleasing in all areas of the mouth.

Beyond the excellence of the wine, and history of the property, there is the Brassfield family. Robert is the winery owner and patriarch and his son Brandon is the winemaker. They and their wives are wonderful hosts and show great warmth and hospitality to all who visit to share their passion for Pinot.

Heart O' the Mountain promises to be a leading contender in Pinot Noir competitions for some time to come.

Winery not open regularly - Check website for calendar of special events.