Much as the prehistoric submarine origin of its limestone and dolomite soils confer upon the Cienega Valley its ancient geological bona fides, this small, remote strip of backcountry remains home to some of the oldest continuously farmed vineyards in California, dating to the late 1840s. The Gimelli Vineyard itself hails from 1908. Planted atop porous soils of sand, the calcareous remains of uplifted seabed, and tumbled- down granite from early Miocene volcanism, these old vines, farmed organically without irrigation, yield a very small crop of such depth and intensity as to more than reward those willing to brave the frequent Hell and occasional High Water required to access this singular site. Gimelli is part of what was once known as the El Gabilan Vineyard, and neighbor to Théophile Vaché’s mid-19th Century plantings, and to the late visionary Josh Jensen’s Mt Harlan. At some 1000’ elevation, the confluence of these magic mineral calcareous soils, the cooling marine influence of nearby Monterey Bay, and 114 year-old dry-farmed vines conspire to produce something exceptional.