McGourty Vineyard is located in Westside Paso Robles California, about 310 miles to the south of the Mendocino and 152 north of our winery in Ventura. The ranch was purchased by Thomas K. McGourty in 1976. His three sons took over and planted grape vines. The 360 acre ranch consists of 120 acres of dry land farmed walnuts and 20 acres of vineyards.
The property is in an area known as Adelaida, and has become the prestigious west side of Paso Robles wine country, home to brands such as Tablas Creek (owned by the Perrin Family of Chateau Neuf du Pape), Justin Winery known for their upscale Bordeaux style wines, and many other great small producers such as Adelaida Cellars, Peachy Canyon and Le Cuvier.
The geology is unusual for California, as it is the only area in the state where the parent material is uplifted marine calcareous rocks, more typical of Burgundy, Tuscany and many parts of the Mediterranean region of Europe.
The vineyards are farmed sustainably, where an emphasis is placed on cropping at levels that require few inputs and are truly expressive of the unique climate and soil–“terroir” wines. The climate has an average rainfall of 15 to 20 inches per year, and the growing season is slightly longer than the Paso Robles east side.
The vineyards are planted on rolling to steep slopes that vary in altitude from 1200 to 1600 feet in elevation. The vineyards are planted on modern trellises and drip irrigated. Yields are low—an average of 3 tons per acre. Only red varieties are grown.
Ten acres are planted with Sangiovese, the noble red variety of Tuscany. The wines are medium in color, with good acidity, and are long lived. There are three different blocks planted based on the water holding capacity of the soil and the elevation. Four Brix Winery uses this Sangiovese for Scosso, a vino noble style wine also consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Seven acres are planted with Zinfandel. Two acres are trained on modern wired trellises, and the rest are “head pruned” in the old style that only requires a stake to support the vines. Four Brix Winery is the exclusive winery working with this delicious Zinfandel used for the Zeductive blend.
Three acres are planted with Portuguese varieties Touriga Nacional and Souzao. The wines are deep red, dark and well structured. They will age for at least 20 years with superb quality.
