HMR Estate Vineyard

HMR is a celebrated vineyard in the hills of west Paso Robles. The anchor of this property is a historic planting of rare, old vine Pinot Noir (35 acres) dating back to 1964. It also includes an 8 acre block of Chardonnay, added in 1973, and a single acre of Gamay, bringing the total to 44 acres. This pioneering old vineyard has proven successful for Burgundian varietals because of its unique microclimate, 10-15 degrees cooler than surrounding sites. Facing south on a steeply sloping swale, it has reduced sun exposure and is a collection area for the cooler air mass. Its location, only 14 miles from the Pacific, accentuates afternoon intrusions of marine air, promoting a dramatic 40-50 degree diurnal temperature variation. The vines struggle in devigorating calcareous shale sub soils in the rolling mountain terrain at between 1,600 and 1,725 feet of elevation. The diverse landscape of ridge tops, rocky slopes, and natural depressions produces a complex set of aromatics and subtle flavors. Pinot Noir vine spacing is traditional 1960s style, 8 feet between vines and 12 feet between rows, 519 vines/acre. On their own roots, the vines are now drip irrigated and trainted to a vertical shoot positioning system with trellises running in an east to west orientation. Yields average only 1 ton/acre. Lacking a clonal attribution, the vine diversity is a selection of the best performing clones of the day, now referred to as the “HMR Selection”.