THE STORY
When some of my American Wine Society Monterey Chapter Scouting Party buds invited me to join them on an outing, I said yes. Not an ordinary outing, but an extraordinary one called The Perfect Pair – a Cabrillo College Culinary & Wine Showcase. Hosted by Prudy Foxx of Foxx Viticulture, this event showcased the students’ talent in designing dishes to match specific Santa Cruz Mountain AVA wines. And boy, are they talented! I’ll be coming back next year! The scallops over fettucine, short ribs over mashed potatoes with slivers of spiced sugar glass, and the raspberry mocha delight were 3 of my favorite dishes.
We also attended the pre-event seminar, Ocean to Summit: A Tasting Journey through the Multiple Micro-climates of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It was interesting to hear about viticulture from across the bay – the terroir, the grapes, the wine. The mountainous terrain above the fog line is influenced by the frigid Monterey Bay – much like we are down in Monterey County. The soil is very different. The difficult mountainous terrain composed primarily of Franciscan Shale differs from our loamier soils. And, to my palate, that distinctive Monterey minerality was more muted in the Santa Cruz Mountain wines. Of course, the winemaker has so much to do with the end product – beyond the terroir and fruit themselves.
Today’s post will be about the Storrs Winery wines we tasted that day. I’ll be presenting the wines from the seminar and a few others over a couple of posts. While I haven’t gone wine tasting yet in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I’ve written about many of them over the years – just type “Santa Cruz Mountains” in the Decanting Monterey search bar.
THE WINERY
From their website:
Handcrafted Wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains
“Stephen Storrs and Pamela Bianchini-Storrs began Storrs Winery with the harvest of 1988. Both trained as winemakers at UC Davis, they had worked and consulted for a number of wineries prior to starting their own, including Domaine Chandon, Felton Empire Vineyards, and Almaden. Consulting duties also included serving as the first winemakers for Scheid Vineyards of Monterey whilst in the early stages of their own emerging winery. Beginning with their very first vintage, they focused on the Santa Cruz Mountains – the cool-climate, marine-influenced appellation in their backyard. Having worked in this terrain for years, they knew there was no better climatic match in California for the classic Burgundian varietals of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir…” I encourage you to read the rest of their story here: Storrs Winery & Vineyards: About Us.
THE WINES
Today I am presenting 4 Storrs wines. Winery notes come from the tasting sheet or their website. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a rule, I do not correct typos from the wineries’ notes.
I will say up front that these not-yet released Chardonnays didn’t taste at all like our Monterey Chardonnays. They are much more complex with a different flavor profile.
2024 Storrs Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains (#1746)
My Review: Golden wheat in the glass. Peach, honey, lychee, butter on the nose. The flavorful citrus palate is balanced by a solid mellow grounding. Lightly oaked. So delicious – I would buy this wine. April 2026
2024 Storrs Chardonnay, Hidden Springs Estate, Santa Cruz Mountains (#1747)
My Review: Pale golden in the glass. Pineapple, honeydew and a touch of butter on the warm nose. A lighter palate with a citrusy finish. April 2026
2024 Storrs Chardonnay, Christie Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains (#1748)
My Review: Rich golden in the glass. Butterscotch, toast and perfume on the nose. A perfect palate with some oak and mellow citrus leading to a slightly bitter yet warm and toasty finish. Biggest of the 3. I like this wine. April 2026
2022 Storrs Old Vines Zinfandel, Rusty Ridge, Santa Clara, 14.2% ABV, $36 (#1749)
Winery Notes: “Big, Rich & Bold! Filled with abundant aromas of raspberry, ripe plum, a touch of spice and violets on the finish. Created from the fruit of old-vine vineyards – this wine will age gracefully for several more years.”
My Review: Peppery nose with dark cherry notes. Delicious palate. I was unable to take more detailed notes at the event. I would buy this wine. April 2026
THE TASTING ROOMS
Storrs Winery has 2 locations to taste wines – get more information and reserve your tasting here!
A dream comes true… a beautiful, sustainable facility… Winery @ the Quarry – Corralitos
“In 2018, we opened the doors to our new winery and tasting room located in the Pleasant Valley district of historic Rancho de los Corralitos. Overlooking our organically-farmed estate vineyard – Hidden Springs – the winery is nestled into a former quarry. We invite you to sample our award-winning wines and to enjoy this serene setting.” Open for Winetasting on Friday, Saturday & Sunday. 1560 Pleasant Valley Road, Aptos, CA 95003
It all began with an idea… to create world-class wines from grapes grown in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
“In 1988, we began our winemaking operations at the historic Old Sash Mill in Santa Cruz, and opened our first tasting room in the rustic artisan complex. Open Thursday – Sunday 12 noon – 5 pm. Walk-ins welcome.” The Old Sash Mill, 303 Potrero Street, no. 35, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
© Decanting Monterey 2026
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