• Cart
• Sign In
• My Account

• The Highlands
• Sustainable Vineyard
• Green Winery
• Buy Wine
• Wine Club
• Visit Us
• Trade Tools

• The Family
• Highland's Digital Fly-in Flash
• The S.L.H. Appellation

---

---

---

The S.L.H. Appellation

"The Santa Lucias stood up against the sky to the west and kept the valley from the open sea, and they were dark and brooding…” - John Steinbeck, East of Eden

Monterey’s Cool Climate Santa Lucia Highlands

The rugged Santa Lucia Mountains frame Monterey's County's fertile Salinas Valley on the west, separating it from the Pacific Ocean. The vines of this steep hillside district enjoy cooling ocean breezes and fog from nearby Monterey Bay. The resulting slow, gentle ripening contributes to California's longest “hang time” — creating exceptional intensity, complexity, and balance in the grapes.

The Santa Lucia Highlands A.V.A.

The Federal Government created this American Viticultural Area in 1991, in recognition of the district's unique growing conditions. The Santa Lucia Mountains tower above the Monterey Coast; ancient glacial movement and erosion have created alluvial fans, perched precariously on the range's southeast-facing benches. It is here that some of the industry's most respected names — Morgan, Pisoni, Garys’, Talbott, Mer Soleil, Belle Glos, McIntyre — have carved out hillside vineyards. Most of the SLH AVA is rated a true Region I climate, comparable in degree-days to Burgundy. Warm morning temperatures followed by chilling ocean breezes and clouds from nearby Monterey Bay provide one of California's longest, gentlest growing seasons. No wonder then, that the Santa Lucia Highlands has built its reputation on cool climate-loving Pinot Noir and Chardonnay — varietals that benefit from extra hang time on the vine.

McIntyre in the Highlands

The McIntyre estate vineyard is located in the central section of the Santa Lucia Highlands. Originally planted by the McFarland family in 1973, it boasts some of the Highlands’ oldest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines. A 1979 Pinot Noir from the vineyard, under the “Stony Hill” label, is still regarded as one of the finest early varietally-labeled Pinots from the district.

In March 1987, Steve McIntyre purchased the eighty acre property. With his experience from neighboring Hahn estate, Steve was an enthusiastic, early believer in the Highlands and was instrumental in helping define and promote the area, eventually resulting in official recognition of the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation.

Steve McIntyre’s three decades experience as a winegrower in the Santa Lucia Highlands has translated into huge demand for his grapes. In addition to the fruit set aside for his own McIntyre brand, Steve sells Chardonnay and Pinot Noir off the property to several other ultra-premium producers, including Morgan Ariana, De Tierra, Joullian, and La Rochelle.

Early bud break and fruit set are one of the advantages of McIntyre’s highland location. Mid-season leaf pulling and other canopy management techniques help focus the vine's efforts. Harvest on the McIntyre estate typically begins in mid-September and can run to late October. The McIntyre family employs sustainable viticultural practices on the home estate, through the use of biodiverse systems and cover crops.