Lester is a classic cold-climate location, with sandy, loamy soil. The sandy soils are a result of the region's origin as a sea bed; geological activity associated with the San Andreas Fault pushed up the seabed, forming successive marine terraces (this is how the Santa Cruz Mountains were formed). The vineyard's cold climate is due to heavy marine influence - it lies at about 600ft elevation, and is only 2-3 miles from the Pacific, so it gets plenty of fog during the summer. Although the fog can bring challenges in reaching full ripeness in colder years, the marine influence allows for the slow and even grape development that makes cool-climate Pinot (and Syrah) so desirable. Lester is managed by Prudy Foxx. Prudy is well known in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, and her care and attention really show at this site. The vineyard is nearly dry farmed, being watered at most 2-3 times during the year, and then only for 4-6 hours. This strict watering regime has remained in place throughout the recent drought, a remarkable feat not matched by many other sites. The deep (30+ ft) root systems of the vines (planted in 1998) and the uniformity of the sandy, loamy soils certainly help. Although not certified organic, this site has never seen herbicides of any kind, and the winter cover crop (usually barley and bell beans) slowly turns golden as summer progresses. The quality of this site and Prudy's careful farming really came out in my first two Lester vintages. The 2012 Pinot Noir (94 pts) and 2013 Pinot Noir (94 pts) both quickly sold out.