A Family Winemaking Heritage

Winemaker Troy Bunnell is a ninth generation California Native.
A direct descendant of the Estrada family of Monterey California they first arrived in California in 1797. The Estrada family through 1849 were “Dons” and Ranch Owners in the Salinas valley. At one point in time they owned over 143,000 thousand acres in the Salinas Valley.

Wine grapes were grown and wines made from grapes grown on south end of The Rancho Buena Vista which stretched from Hiway 68 in the North to Chualar in the South on the west side of the Salinas River. Just North of the present day Grape growing area known as Santa Lucia Highlands.

Today The Santa Lucia Highlands area is being compared to the Cote de Or in Burgundy France as an area of great vineyards, great grapes and great wines.

Troy Bunnell having spent time touring and working in the wineries and vineyards in Burgundy developed a passion for winemaking and Pinot Noir winemaking specifically. With this passion, his family winemaking heritage and connection to the land in Monterey County and the Salinas Valley he selected this as the grape source for his wines.
He is dedicated to seeing The Santa Lucia Highlands become the one of the finest producer of grapes and wine in the world.