Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
The seaside town of San Simeon embodies the image of California’s Central Coast: rugged shorelines, ocean breezes, and the majestic Pacific Ocean. The mission is to handcraft every bottle of San Simeon wine to reveal its Central Coast origins. San Simeon grapes are grown on coastally influenced vineyards in Paso Robles and Monterey. Shaped by oceanic weather patterns and grown in rocky calcareous soil, each San Simeon varietal is bold and unapologetic in its intensity and craftsmanship. The Riboli Family has made a steadfast commitment to producing the highest quality grapes from estate vineyards in two of the most prestigious regions along California’s central coast: Monterey and Paso Robles. San Simeon Wines sourced from Monterey and Paso Robles estate vineyards are meticulously farmed to yield grapes with concentrated flavors and aromas and our winemaking techniques create unique wines of the highest quality and character. They pay special attention to the cultivation of their vineyards, confident you’ll taste the fruits of their passion in the complexity of their wines.
Perhaps the most highly regarded appellation within Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA benefits from a combination of warm morning sunshine and brisk afternoon breezes, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and fully. The result is concentrated, flavorful wines that retain their natural acidity. Wineries here do not shy away from innovation, and place a high priority on sustainable viticultural practices.
The climatic conditions here are perfectly suited to the production of ripe, rich Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These Burgundian varieties dominate an overwhelming percentage of plantings, though growers have also found success with Syrah, Riesling and Pinot Gris.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”