Bruce Freeman outside his adobe wine cellar at his winery at South Mountain, Ventura County California.
Clos des Amis - California
Bruce Freeman, whose mother is French and with roots in Ventura County California, started to make wine in 1994 and in 2011 officially launched Clos des Amis winery (pronounced clo desamee) which means circle of friends in French. His focus is on making new world wines in an old world style from Ventura County vineyards, most which come from the winery’s own South Mountain Vineyards in Santa Paula. Along with his partner Gretel Meys Compton, and not to forget Sandy whose land is home to the South Mountain Vineyard. Their wine is literally a labor of love in a glass!
Their vineyards are in the Santa Clara River Valley, known for its unique micro climate and agriculture. The South Mountain Vineyards are at a higher altitude overlooking the valley with limestone and diatomaceous soil, with evidence of sea life fossils, as it was underwater many years ago. This gives their wines great minerality which balances nicely with the neutral oak aging that most of their wines go through.
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Wine and food journalist’s review of Clos des Amis White Wine
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Clos des Amis is in Ventura County California, just north of Los Angeles.
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