In 1987, co-owners Bill and Brenda Murphy decided to plant some Chardonnay in their Saratoga
backyard. The wine was good enough that people wanted to buy it. It was at this point that Clos LaChance
formed into a company. The first commercially released wines were from the 1992 vintage.
Clos LaChance grew slowly over the years, until the unruly 1997 vintage. At this point, Bill and Brenda
brought on winemaker Jeff Ritchey, a U.C. Davis graduate who was working in the lab at a Sonoma County
winery. Under Jeff’s supervision, Clos LaChance currently produces an average of 15,000 cases a year.
In addition to being one of the
most beautiful places in California, the Santa Cruz Mountains also grows some of the state’s finest grapes. The
rugged topography of the region limits the size of individual vineyards. In addition, the costs associated with
planting mountain vineyards limits the overall acreage devoted to grapes in this cool, coastal appellation.
