COAST RANGES

Coast Ranges is a contemporary California wine project focused on two of the state's most important cool-climate varieties: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Rather than being centred around a single estate vineyard, Coast Ranges sources fruit from carefully selected vineyards across California's coastal wine country, bringing together the freshness of Monterey and the Central Coast with fruit from Sonoma Valley.

The wines are sourced from three vineyards, with two located within the Monterey area of California's Central Coast AVA and a third in Sonoma Valley. This multi-vineyard approach allows Coast Ranges to combine different expressions of California's coastal environment while maintaining a clear focus on varietal character.

Monterey is particularly well suited to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean creates significant maritime influence, with cool air and fog moderating temperatures and extending the growing season. Monterey County lies entirely within the larger Central Coast AVA and has developed an international reputation for cool-climate varieties, particularly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

California's coastal mountain ranges play an important role in creating these conditions. Gaps through the mountains allow cool Pacific air to move inland, reducing daytime temperatures and helping grapes retain acidity while developing ripe flavours. This combination of Californian sunshine and maritime cooling is particularly valuable for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The Sonoma component adds another dimension. Sonoma encompasses an enormous range of climates, but its coastal and marine-influenced areas have become some of California's most important sources of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The interaction between sunshine, fog and cool Pacific air can produce wines combining ripe Californian fruit with freshness and aromatic definition.

Winemaking for Coast Ranges is handled by the Ehler family in Lodi, whose winemaking history in California dates to 1835, according to the producer information supplied for the range. The wines are made traditionally, with fermentation taking place in a very large oak foudre before élevage in stainless steel prior to bottling.

This combination is particularly interesting stylistically. Large-format oak provides a very different environment from small new barriques: the much lower ratio of wine to wood allows fermentation to take place in oak without necessarily making overt oak flavour the defining characteristic. Subsequent maturation in stainless steel helps retain freshness and varietal purity.

The Coast Ranges Chardonnay is therefore intended as a distinctly Californian yet balanced expression of the variety. Fruit from coastal-influenced vineyards provides ripeness and generosity, while the cooler conditions of Monterey help preserve acidity and freshness. Fermentation in large oak adds texture before stainless-steel maturation maintains clarity and fruit definition.

The Coast Ranges Pinot Noir follows the same broader philosophy. Pinot Noir is particularly sensitive to heat, making California's cooler coastal environments especially valuable. Pacific fog, wind and lower temperatures allow a longer ripening season, helping Pinot develop ripe red-fruit character while retaining the acidity and aromatic detail essential to the variety. California's most important coastal Pinot Noir regions have developed precisely around these cooling influences.

Rather than attempting to imitate Burgundy, Coast Ranges embraces the natural ripeness of California while retaining enough freshness to keep the wines energetic and immediately drinkable. The supplier describes the range as distinctly varietal, distinctly ripe and appealing—a concise summary of the project's philosophy.

Coast Ranges therefore offers an approachable introduction to contemporary California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir: ripe enough to show the generosity of Californian fruit, but sourced from vineyards where coastal influence provides the freshness required to maintain balance.

For drinkers exploring California beyond Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Coast Ranges also highlights the remarkable geographical diversity of the state. From Monterey and the Central Coast to Sonoma, California's coastal regions provide some of the country's most compelling environments for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Shop Coast Ranges wines online at Wine More Cellars Australia. Discover California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced from Monterey, the Central Coast and Sonoma with Australia-wide shipping and free delivery on eligible orders over $199.