Testarossa Blesses Harvest At Los Gatos Winery

LOS GATOS, CA —The most temperamental varietal met the most temperamental of late winter seasons this year at Testarossa Winery, producers of premier California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the market.

Tucked in the foothills above Los Gatos, the winery celebrated Tuesday its bounty despite winter's wrath that gave way to a simmering summer and more than 130 years of expertise in a glorious Santa Clara County setting, Testarossa hosted its traditional "Blessing of the Harvest." The blessing marks the grapes journey to the winery to make some of the finest Pinots and Chardonnays.

"Testarossa is proud to carry on the more than a century-old tradition by having a Blessing of the Harvest ceremony at the historic Novitiate Winery," said Rob Jensen, who runs Testarossa Winery. "We look forward to receiving grapes from our select partner vineyards - what we believe to be the best vineyards for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the country."

Harvest is a bit late this year according to Director of Winemaking Bill Brosseau, who has run the operation for 19 years.

"The 2019 vintage consisted of very atypical weather this season with rain nearly every day in February, as well as torrential rain in May during our flowering period. Consequently, this season with the intense spring precipitation, we are seeing very healthy vines yet diminished berry sizes and lower yields. "

Reverend Peter Pabst, who is the Chancellor of Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High School, was set to be the guest of honor to bless the first grapes' arrival at the winery. This year the Novitiate is celebrating its 131st Anniversary of consecutively making wine at this historic location, which was built by Jesuit novices in 1888 and is the 107th bonded winery in the United States. Most of those 107 wineries are no longer in operation.

Under the guidance of Rob and Diana Jensen, Testarossa currently has more than 200 acres of grapes under contract, with the majority of their wines hailing from vineyards in Monterey, Santa Barbara and the Santa Cruz Mountains. These first chardonnay grapes come to Testarossa from the Brosseau Vineyard in Monterey County's Chalone Appellation. The Brosseau Chardonnay, along with the rest of the Testarossa portfolio of single vineyard and Appellation wines, consistently receive outstanding scores.

Testarossa meticulously sources fruit from 18 different vineyards, although the Jesuits still own 450 acres of property on the grounds in the hills that offer spectacular views and the perfect setting for weddings and other special occasions.

The place, which is bustling during harvest, has a character all its own. Even the distilling tanks come with unique names based on the musical preference of the staff tending to them. Take Metallica and Rick James, and wine enthusiasts may get varietals that rock.

From those 30 tanks, the operation in full swing is able to crank out 30,000 cases a year. Their mainstays — the Chardonnay sits in the barrel between 10- to 14 months, while the Pinot lingers two additional months much like its earthiness on the palate. The full-throated Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the world's most well known varietals, is best sitting for three years to allow a softening of the tannins.

All knowledge and tradition at Testarossa has stood the test of time since 1888.

"This place has an amazing history," tour Manager Ryan Smith said.

But Smith emphasized how the winery with its very busy tasting room and hopping grounds where bands are brought in has learned to reinvent itself in what people want to see in a winery. A winery is no longer a place to test and taste in a one-dimensional setting. It also a place for picnics and Friday night gatherings as witnessed on the patio one recent hot, summer evening.

The winery also hosts classes and workshops to help enthusiasts improve their knowledge — even if it involves the subtlety of pairing the wines in Riedel glasses, the finest stemware in the world.

Coming up, Chef de Cuisine Nadiv Geiger's will offer a farm-to-table dinner at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 13 that offers a collision of flavors from locally-grown food cooked up to bring out the best in the winery's crisp Chardonnays and complementary Pinots.