Dear Friends:

We have been excited about these wines since we first brought them into the winery. These are some of

best wines we have made to date – they are so complete. They combine great concentration, expressive

aromatics and exceptional acidity.

TROUT GULCH VINEYARD CHARDONNAY / SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS

Knockout nose combines white grapefruit, quinine and sea spray– powerful and perfumed. A wine of coiled

energy and finesse, conveying outstanding cut and chiseled precision. Flavors of citrus zest, jasmine and

dusty stone. Sharply delineated and expressive. Finishes with extraordinary energy and rising length.

Absolutely delicious.

Our first release from Trout Gulch could not be more exciting. From 40+ year old organically farmed vines.

Trout Gulch vineyard is nestled in the foothills of Aptos in the southern Santa Cruz Mountains. A mere 4

miles from the ocean keeps the site colder than any of our other Chardonnay sites. Clay rich sand over

bedrock allows vines to build flavor and sugar over a longer period of time.

PETER MARTIN RAY VINEYARD CHARDONNAY / SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS

Complex aromas of crushed stone, lemon, bergamot and hawthorn blossom. Impressively concentrated

with outstanding depth to the flavors of ripe yellow fruits, orange zest and almond skin. Perfectly integrat-

ed acidity gives outstanding balance. Finishes salty and very long with terrific energy and tactile mineral

quality reflective of the soils in which it is grown.

Peter Martin Ray Vineyard is part of the original Martin Ray estate founded in 1942. Since that time, the

vines have been replanted. Peter Martin Ray (Martin’s son) replanted the Vineyard in the early 1980’s. The

vine material came from the original Mt Eden Chardonnay cuttings. The site is planted on AXR rootstock

and produces clusters of tiny concentrated berries. The soils are fractured shale with a good amount of

clay.

C E R I T A S S P R I N G N E W S L E T T E R • P A G E O N E

S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 R E L E A S E

HACIENDA SECOYA VINEYARD PINOT NOIR / ANDERSON VALLEY

Transparent and prism like Pinot Noir. Vibrant nose combines dark cherry, wild spices, peony blossom and

fresh herbs. A savory powerful iron rich palate elevated by flavors of mocha, black raspberry and graphite.

Silky tannins wrap around a beautifully balance and energetic finish. Vinified with 40% whole clusters.

The Hacienda Secoya Vineyard is located in the “deep end” of Anderson Valley. The Deep End of

Anderson Valley is renowned as an optimal growing area for cool-climate Pinot Noir, due to cool ocean air

penetrating through the valley. Named for the surrounding redwood forest, this southwest-facing

vineyard sits on an elevated bench just above the valley floor, a stone’s throw from the town of Navarro.

The vines were planted in 1995 to the Pommard clone in soils that are volcanic in origin and

sandstone-based, with a red hue revealing the greater than average iron content. Between the influence

of coastal fog and the high proportion of clay in the soil, the vines stay hydrated throughout the growing

season.

CHARDONNAY

The Chardonnay’s are very expressive. Ph levels are low and acidities are high. These wines speak

quietly, revealing the subtleties of each site. They o�er up great transparency, cut, and fruit purity and

aromatic complexity. Finishes are very long. This should be another vintage that will age very well.

PINOT NOIR

The Pinot Noir’s are concentrated due to smaller than average berries. In the cellar, the wines showed

great suppleness much like the wines from 2013. By the end of the first year, the wines had expressive

aromatics of exotic spices and earth. Acidities across the board were high at harvest. The wines are

bright red fruited, deeply concentrated and have beautiful balance. The wines are enjoyable right away

but should reward those who put them away.

C E R I T A S S P R I N G N E W S L E T T E R • P A G E T W O

2013 VINTAGE OVERVIEW

After three years of drought and 2013 turning out to be the driest year in recorded California history, our

concerns were starting to grow given the lack of soil hydration along the North Coast. Since all of our

vineyards are dry farmed, we count on winter rains to replenish water to parched soils from the previous

summer. December was dry with no rainfall. January was not much better. Finally in February, the

winter storms did materialize and produced similar quantities at each site as in 2013. Cold wet condi-

tions persisted through much of February but we still got an early start and the vines sprung into action

around the first week of March in most of our vineyards. Soils seemed fully saturated at the time but

after three years of less than average rainfall new challenges lay ahead.

Canopies grew well at first but the three years of drought was finally showing itself in vegetative growth.

Shoots struggled to make it to the top wire. Earlier than normal shoot thinning passes allowed us to

select the strongest shoots. Consistent warm weather during flowering produced a solid set. While the

clusters were smaller in 2014 than 2013, they were more evenly set which led to less green drops later in

the year. Vineyards were bathed in sunshine through much of the summer.

We began picking the last two weeks of August. By the end of August, Porter-Bass Pinot Noir and young

vine Chardonnay, Peter Martin Ray, Hellenthal, Hacienda were all in. The remaining picks spread out

evenly over the final two weeks of harvest. The Chardonnay was all healthy – no signs of botrytis or

oidium – flavors were bright with low pH’s and high natural acidities. The Pinot Noir’s were concentrated,

dark and full of flavor. Retained natural acidity helped to balance as they aged. Overall crop loads in 2014

were slightly down as compared to 2013. Harvest started on August 19 and ended September 15.

We sincerely hope that you enjoy these wines. Thank you for your continued support. Be well.

John Raytek & Phoebe Bass

C E R I T A S S P R I N G N E W S L E T T E R • P A G E T H R E E