Located along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail in the Santa Maria Valley AVA, just north of Santa Barbara, sits the beautiful vineyards and tasting room of Cambria Estate Winery. Just 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean, at the northern end of the Foxen Canyon, this is cool climate country and ideal for planting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
In 1970 and 1971 the Tepusquet Vineyard was planted and in 1986 portions of that vineyard were acquired by Barbara Banke and became Cambria Estate Winery. Barbara Banke is the wife of the late Jess Jackson, one of the iconic pioneers of the modern California wine industry. Since acquiring these vineyards, Banke, who still owns and manages the winery, has extensively re-planted the vineyards and has focused on the best clonal material for different blocks within the vineyards. Tasting through her Pinot Noirs we could see the difference that various clones offer and how that selection is important to making top quality Pinot Noir.
Today the Estate has four different vineyards. Katherine’s, named for Barbara’s eldest daughter, occupies the northern most reach. It is planted in sand and granite soils that are shallow and pourous which offers excellent drainage. This vineyard is planted to Chardonnay and divided into 34 separate blocks which are individually farmed to preserve the unique expression of each block. Immediately to the south is Julia’s vineyard, named for her youngest daughter. (Both daughters work with their mother at the winery.) Planted in 1991 to Pinot Noir, primarily Clone 4, one of the Pommard clones on alluvial sandy loam, this vineyard is sustainably farmed and produces the biggest selling wine. The Bench Break Vineyard grows both Pinot and Chardonnay on its pebbly shale and quartz soils. They produce small berries of concentrated, intense flavours. Finally there is the Tepusquet Vineyard, originally a pre-historic river bed that left behind sandy, pourous and well draining soils. It produces wines that have a rich, ripe profile balanced by good acidity.
Cambria has a total of 1,581 acres of which almost 1,300 are under vine. This makes it the largest estate in Santa Barbara County. Chardonnay, at roughly 700 acres planted and Pinot Noir at almost 500 acres make up the bulk of the estate, with some plantings of Syrah, Viognier, Pinot Gris and Sangiovese. This site sees budbreak in February and harvests in October giving it the longest growing season in the state (245 days). “Hang time” is an important influence, necessary in making high quality wine. In this valley, the mountains change direction from running North/South to running East/West (see our recent article for background) giving open access to the Pacific Ocean. This access brings in daily fog and breezes making it a cool climate which allows for that longer growing season and is ideal for the Burgundian grape varietals of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. All the vineyards are farmed sustainably and are SIP Certified (Sustainability in Practice).
Situated near the highest elevations and looking down over the vineyards is Cambria’s beautiful tasting room. We were warmly greeted upon our arrival there by tasting room manager Brian York. Brian is as delightful as he is knowledgeable. He instantly made us feel at home and provided much helpful information as he took us through Cambria’s line up of wines. It was a fascinating tasting, delicious wines and a terrific education, particularly on the influence of different clones to the final outcome of what is in the bottle. Cambria is an excellent winery to visit of you are doing California’s Central Coast. Beautiful surroundings, excellent wines, very fair prices given the quality being offered and first class hospitality. Thank you Brian!
2014 Tepusquet Viognier
Apricot and honey notes can be found in this medium body wine with a nice lingering acidity at the finish. A bit of a departure from other Central Coast Viogniers we have had, and the effect of this cooler site is in evidence in the leaner cut this wine.
Very Good – $20 at the Winery
2013 Benchbreak Chardonnay
Stone fruits, apple and pear come across on a medium bodied frame with nice acidity. All of Cambria’s Chardonnays are raised in 2 year old French oak barrels and go through 100% malo-lactic fermentation.
Very Good – US$22 at the winery (very good QPR)
2013 Clone 96 Chardonnay
Here is a step up in quality and complexity with flavours of almonds adding nuance to the apple and citrus profile. The body ratchets up to medium plus and offers a long finish.
Excellent – US$27 at the winery (particularly good value for this quality level)
2013 Clone 4 Chardonnay
Here the dials are turned up and the tropical fruit notes receive emphasis. Round and broad this brings more texture to the palate but never gets heavy. This is now sold out, indicating the popularity of this wine.
Very Good + (Sold out)
2012 Julia’s Pinot Noir
Medium to dark cherry aromas are joined by holiday spices. The palate is fairly full and is defined by a nice acidity on the earthy finish. Hints of vanilla and cream soda provide interest but remain in the background while the upfront red fruits dominate the tasting experience. From a blend of 8 different clones.
Very Good + (Sold out)
Clone 115 Pinot Noir
Made from one of the Dijon clones. Very dark in colour this wine sends up lovely aromas of cherry, earth and baking spices. The medium plus body fills your mouth and remains long after with its slightly rustic finish. Classy, and worth cellaring a few years.
Excellent – US$52 at the winery
2013 Clone 23 Pinot Noir
Made from one of the Swiss clones. Deep red colour. Pretty dark cherry nose with classic “Pinot perfume”. This is a fuller body and still has some tannin to shed. Notes of vanilla intermingle with spice and add dimension to the robust cherry flavours. Brian tells us this Pinot is their “Cab converter”. Good descriptor; great wine!
Excellent – US$52 at the winery
2010 – 2013 Four Year Vertical of Barbara’s Pinot Noir
This is the tete cuvee at Cambria. Barbara is passionate about the Dijon clone 667 and the Barbara’s represents her pick of the best barrels made from that clone. Each vintage sees two passes in the vineyard to drop fruit before harvest, concentrating and intensifying energy going to the remaining clusters. The wine goes through full malo-lactic fermentation and is raised for 16 months in new French oak barrels. Since there were more similarities than differences between the vintages, we will keep things brief by amalgamating the tasting notes to give you an overall sense. The Barbara’s has medium to dark colour, and offers up a delicious dark cherry nose with added notes of plum, earth, pepper and baking spice. The palate is full and provides a sexy, plush, velvety mouthfeel that remains light and silky. The finish is long and earthy. Each of the vintage we rated as excellent. The 2012 is probably the one we would cellar, and while it was not easy to choose, it was the 2011 we decide to buy, which caught us a bit by surprise, given the difficulties many had with the vintage.
Excellent – US$ 80 at the winery
Recent Comments