Malibu Coast is a large AVA in southern California, covering the Santa Monica mountains northwest of Los Angeles. The area has long been home to viticulture, but is one of the newest AVAs in the United States, having been established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) in July, 2014. Only a few hundred acres are planted to vine in this 45,000-acre (18,000-ha) area, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay making up Malibu Coast's most talked-about wines.
The viticultural area spans some 45 miles between Ventura County and Los Angeles' Hollywood Hills. Despite its location on the edge of one of North America's largest cities (and Malibu's reputation as a prime movie-star habitat) the area's mountainous landscape is largely free of urbanization. It is home to two existing AVAs: Malibu-Newton Canyon and Saddle Rock Malibu.
Here, the mountains rise straight up out of the Pacific Ocean, giving rise to a unique terroir in this part of California. Malibu Coast has a cooler mesoclimate than in more sheltered inland areas, as cooling, fog-laden ocean breezes make their way into the vineyard areas through the mountains' numerous canyons and valleys. This is complemented by the bright Southern California sunlight, which is abundant on the south-facing hillsides throughout the area and exacerbated by the reflective presence of the ocean.
Together, these two climatic influences offer up a good environment for grapegrowing, as warm afternoons are followed by colder nights and cool mornings. This kind of diurnal temperature shift has long been considered a boon to growers, as it helps to shut down sugar production overnight, slowing the ripening process. This allows the grapes to reach their full potential more slowly, while retaining vital acidity. This leads to well-balanced, flavorsome wines that are in no way "fat" or "flabby".
Malibu Coast has a volcanic terroir, which is shot through with more sedimentary influences. Made up largely of slate, shale and sandstone, the soils in the hillside vineyards are often thin and stony, with good drainage and low fertility. The dry soils help prevent mildew in the vineyards, and also warm quickly during the day, providing a thermal effect in the cooler evenings. A lack of water also lessens leafy canopy growth, meaning the grapes are more exposed to the sunlight.
After a three-year application process, the Malibu Coast name is now permitted to be used on any wines bottled after July, 2014. As such, there are few wines currently available bearing the official AVA title, but several producers are located within the designated area and will likely start to use the title as soon as possible. These include Dolin Estate, Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate and Colcanyon Estate.
