Welcome,
Thank you for taking the time to visit Malibu Solstice on the Web. We welcome you to browse the site and email or call with any questions or comments you might have.
Sincerely,
Donald Schmitz II, Founder
News:
Malibu Solstice will be releasing it's 2008 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon on October 1st 2010. This beautiful Malibu Cab. was barrel aged for 12 months in French Oak casks. Rather than blend the north and south blocks, as has been tradition at the vineyard, we bottled, processed, and aged them separately. Both north and south are characterized by ripe plum and brambleberries. The nose is full of young dark fruits, cedar, and a hint of citrus. The mouth feel is firm, exhibiting a solid tannin structure and velvety pallet. The finish is smooth and lingering.
Malibu Solstice is a micro vineyard located in the Solstice Canyon region of the Santa Monica Mountains in Malibu, CA. The vineyard is solely dedicated to the variety Cabernet Sauvignon, the king of red wine. The vineyard was planted in 1996 with Bordeaux clones. Currently we have a little less than two acres under vine and our annual yield is between 150 and 300 cases of wine, depending upon seasonal conditions. The vineyard is meticulously hand maintained by a small staff under the direction of the Schmitz family.
As with every other wine grower in Los Angeles County, we are a vineyard and not a winery. Actual wine production is outsourced to a local winery, currently Camarillo Custom Crush. Our Cabernet spends between 11 and 17 months in 59 gallon French Oak barrels. The barrels are made using new and neutral oak; however, this blend does vary from year to year but never exceeds 50% new oak. Once the wine has been bottled it is moved from the winery to a storage location for bottle maturation. Following significant bottle maturation, a minimum of two years, we begin distribution.
Our physical location, at a high elevation in the Santa Monica Mountains, places us in a unique microclimate. Located in a Mediterranean, chaparral environment, we are subject to long dry days followed by cool evenings with regular, moist onshore breezes, and mildly chilly nights. The low occurrence of hazardous weather in early spring, long temperate summer, and a warm forgiving fall provides us with an exceptional growing climate. The vines were planted on slopes of differing orientation to provide variation in harvest time and growth conditions; providing opportunity for variation in blending and flavor expressions. The natural clay, loam soil imparts ample drainage aiding vine health and development. It also imparts a unique, yet subtly familiar sense of Terroir to the wine.
Our Wines are available from numberous local retailers.
Please feel free to contact us for further information, or contact the retailers located to the right.
Malibu Solstice Vineyard
29350 Pacific Coast Hwy. Suite 12 Malibu, CA 90265
P: (310) 589-0773 | F: (310) 589-0353
