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Beauregard Vineyards

The just-completed 2024 harvest is the Beauregard family’s 79th, as they purchased their ranch in 1945. One of the “godfathers” of the Santa Cruz Mountains, patriarch Jim Beauregard has planted more acres of vineyards in the region than anyone and was responsible for the application and formation of the Ben Lomond Mountain AVA. Beauregard Vineyards oversees 65 estate acres spread over three vineyards: Beauregard Ranch, Coast Grade and Bald Mountain.

Son Ryan Beauregard runs the show these days, managing the business and making the wine. For Pinot Noir, he picks earlier than some of his counterparts, harvesting around 22.5 brix, with one-third whole clusters and relatively short macerations of around ten days to manage tannin extraction (especially in vintages with heat issues, like 2022). He picks Bordeaux varieties as ripe as possible, allowing the skins to dimple. Beauregard explains, “I let the pH and the volatile acidity get pretty high, and I age the wines in 50-75% new oak. I like to let these get to higher alcohol, which acts as a preservative for the wines.”

The releases I tasted for this report are all top-tier. However, the far-and-away standout is the unforgettable 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beauregard Ranch, a full-throttle, explosive wine that stands in a stylistic class of its own in the region. The Pinot Noir Beauregard Ranch is similarly excellent—a testament to the high ceiling for this site. Beauregard Vineyards is the leader of the pack in Ben Lomond Mountain and one of the most important estates in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

From Santa Cruz Mountains – The Chameleon (Oct 2024) by Billy Norris

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2022 Chardonnay Bald Mountain Vineyard

Release Price: $68

Color: White

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