Wenzlau Vineyard

Sta. Rita Hills, California

Who in their right minds would pay for 100 acres of rugged land with space for only 12 ½ acres of vines? In strictly business terms, this would be a challenge to pencil out. So, if it’s not money, it must be love.
After certain milestone birthdays and inspiration from travels near & far, husband & wife, Cindy & Bill Wenzlau decided to follow a dream more than two decades in the making. Bill had already started making wine at a custom crush facility with a couple of buddies, so that experience made him want to dive in deeper. He wanted to make wine from his own fruit. Cindy has spent decades with dirt under her nails maintaining her own garden, managing community volunteer groups to maintain the grounds at the local schools and working with many to create their own gardens.
But, oldest son, Tommy, was the catalyst for taking the next step. After returning from a year in France, he declared that he had found his true passion in wine. Bill replied, “Not fair. It’s my turn. I’ve waited longer than you.” The two scoured California for available property, up and down the coast. Looking to do something small in scale, the perfect plot on the cool, foggy, western edge of the Santa Rita Hills was found. Although it was 100 acres, only 12 ½ acres were planted. The rest of the property comprised parts of the Santa Ynez River and steep, rocky canyons. This was a manageable size to provide the attention needed to farm organically and grow fruit of the highest quality.
It was an ideal climate to feed their passion for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. It was spring, 2011. The four year old vines were just breaking bud. Wenzlau Vineyard was born. To manage their demanding farming duties, they decided to partner with the knowledgeable and hard working team at Agritetrad Land Company. They have a clear goal. Produce the highest quality, organically grown fruit, so that the wine made from the grapes reflects the specific sense of place. Justin Willett, their winemaker, (and partner in Agritetrad) understands that making wine from beautiful fruit makes his job a lot easier. He is as much shepherd as skilled winemaker, allowing the juice to become wine with the minimal amount of intervention. Both philosophically and practically, he is a big asset to the Wenzlau Vineyard team.
Wenzlau Vineyard sits on the western edge of the Santa Rita Hills AVA in Lompoc, CA. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are grown on 12-½ acres that are split into a lower vineyard (Chardonnay) and an upper vineyard (Pinot Noir). The two vineyards sit in the middle of a 100-acre parcel, so the vines are surrounded by 88 acres of open, natural terrain. The lower vineyard faces the Santa Ynez River where the 5 acres of Chardonnay vines grow in silty soil and river rock. Adjacent to the 5 acres of Chardonnay is a ½ acre fruit orchard, which brings an abundance of pollinators, as well as lots of beautiful fruit. There is a steep canyon leading to the upper vineyard with 7-½ acres of Pinot Noir grapes. The upper vineyard gets a cool, steady breeze from the Pacific Ocean, which is just 7 miles away. This allows the grapes to ripen slowly to maximize flavor without the sugar spike (and high alcohol) brought on by hotter climates. The abundance of open space, cool climate, air circulation and ample supply of pollinators create a naturally healthy, well-balanced eco-system. Their organic farming regime is based on a system of cover crops, composting and hand farming, with minimal irrigation.

Wines

Chardonnay Estate The Drawing Board

In 2016, with these young vines in their 5th year fruit from the acre of Viognier grafted over in 2012, the Wenzlaus continued to isolate the fruit in order to study its development as the vines matured.

Site: As is typical of this riverfront site, the minerality is ever-‐‑present from the sandy, loam soil. There are 3 clones, 4, 15 & 76. All are planted on Riparia rootstock.

Whole clusters were pressed to tank, quickly settled and racked to a second tank. Once active, the fermenting juice was transferred to barrels, about 10% new French Oak. All lots went through full malo. It rested on lees for 15 months before being racked back to stainless steel tank for an additional 3 months prior to bottling February 2016. No filtration, no fining, no acidification or chaptalization.

Estate Chardonnay

Site: Coming from multiple blocks in the lower vineyard planted on Sorrento loam soils with varying degrees of shale, river cobble, silty clay and limestone, the Estate Chardonnay always has a distinct texture and roundness while still maintaining freshness, energy, tension and focus.

Winemaking: The wine saw 14 months in mostly neutral French barrels, on the lees the whole time and went through full malo. It was then racked to stainless steel tank for an additional 4 months prior to bottling and put to sleep these past 6 months. There is about 18-‐‑20% new French oak in the finished wine. There was no acidification or chaptalization.

Estate Pinot Noir

Site: Planted on tierra loam soils as well as diatomaceous outcroppings (lots of crushed sea shells), this very west slope gets pounded by the onshore flow coming off the Pacific. The struggle these vines endure to send their roots deep into the signature Sta. Rita Hills dense black clay soil to steady themselves against the constant wind from this elevated plot give the fruit’s juice added complexity.

Winemaking: 18 days fermentation in open top vats with 1 or 2 punch downs most days, about 30% whole cluster. The fruit was then pressed to barrel for 14 months on lees before being racked, blended, and put back down to barrel for an additional 4 months of cellaring before being bottled and put to sleep for 6 months. Overall, the wine saw about 25% new French oak. Predominantly from clones 115 and 667, with a smaller amount of 2A. No acidification. No chaptalization.

Pinot Noir Mt. Carmel Sta. Rita Hills 2015

Production: 4 barrels
Harvested: 8/6/15

The Site: Single vineyard, single block, single clone (667), this bottling is from our single acre across the canyon and is part of the famed Mt. Carmel site, where the 2nd oldest vines in the Sta. Rita Hills are planted. It is a breezy, south facing plot where the old vines' feet grip the dark, diatomaceous clay and produce dark, brooding clusters.

Winemaking: After about 18 days of fermentation in open vats, the grapes were pressed to barrel. The dark, powerful small clusters allowed us to add stems this year and, in a big way, about 50%. The wine saw about 30% new French oak, racked off lees after 14 months in barrel, blended, and back down to barrel for an additional 4 months of cellaring before being bottled and put to sleep for 6 months. No acidification. No chaptalization.

Pinot Noir Perch Sta. Rita Hills 2015

Production: 3 barrels
Harvested: 8/13/15

The site: Organically Farmed on a tiny parcel on the southwestern corner of the vineyard, the vines cling to the edge of a dramatic 450’ windswept cliff. Single vineyard, single block, single clone (2A), this special cuvée is planted on Linne clay loam soils. The wine defies its rugged existence with a feminine purity, elegance and minerality.

Winemaking: After 14 days of fermentation, the grapes were pressed to barrel. The wine saw about 40% new French oak, racked off lees after 14 months in barrel, blended, and back down to barrel for an additional 4 months of cellaring before being bottled and put to sleep for 6 months. 50% stem inclusion. Small, dark, and powerful clusters. No acidification. No chaptalization.

Pinot Noir Drawing Board Sta. Rita Hills

The site: Organically farmed, the vines are planted on tierra loam soils as well as diatomaceous outcroppings (lots of crushed sea shells, black clay and broken river rocks). This elevated, southwest slope gets pounded by the onshore flow coming off the Pacific Ocean. The vines send their roots deep into this signature Sta. Rita Hills dense, microbial black clay soil to steady themselves against the constant beating of the sea breeze. It is this condition that gives the fruit’s juice added boldness and complexity.

Winemaking: The berries were picked before first light and came into the cellar cool, dark & juicy. The wine blends all blocks from our Estate vineyard, as well as grapes from our older vines on our acre on Mt. Carmel. The grapes were pressed to barrel after 10-14 days fermenting in the cellar with about 15% whole stem inclusion in the finished wine. The wine spent 18 months in barrels, about 20% new French Oak, and was bottled in February 2018. No fining, no filtration, no chaptalization.

Chardonnay L'Inconnu (Sparkling)

Cuvée L'Inconnu (meaning the unknown) is made from a single vintage, single vineyard and sourced from a single block of Wente clone Chardonnay.

Made using the traditional Méthode Champenoise technique. Lightly pressed with stems in a vintage Coquard press, to stainless steel tank. After fermentation the juice was racked to a 2nd tank where it rested 12 months. July 2015, we put it through its secondary fermentation and capped it. It rested on the lees for 5+ years. In late Fall 2020, we began the disgorging process, topped off with the same vintage sans dosage (no sugar added).

2014
107 cases ~ harvested August 8, 2014
Disgorged ~ November - February 2020-2021
Zero Dosage
10.0%alc.
Farming ~ Organic

Vintage Notes

2014:

The 2014 vintage has its own signature, perhaps from the vines enduring the 2nd full year of severe drought. The benefits of training the vines to go deep (with low-‐‑irrigation) and regular application of thick blankets of mulch (to hold in moisture) have definitely assisted in lowering the stress on the vines. Overall, the yields were actually higher than usual for most of the region, including Wenzlau Vineyard. Perhaps it was some panic in the vines that caused the higher production in even our pruned-‐‑to-‐‑extra-‐‑low-‐‑yield vines. The winter of 2014 was mild and dry and bud break came a few weeks early, and so, in turn, did harvest. The result for this vintage is very fresh, mineral, deeply soulful, and pure juice. These wines really convey all the attributes so special and unique to this place; precision, clarity, & power all framed with a strong sense of the nearby ocean.

2015:

After a wet and cold winter and a long cool spring in 2017, we couldn't be happier with what we are seeing with the fruit from this year's crop. Although the yields are a little light, the fruit is beautiful. This is reminiscent of the current release. Indeed, the yields in 2015 were significantly lower throughout the region, in some cases, by as much as half, likely in response to the 3rd straight year of severe drought. The winter of 2015 was mild and dry and bud break came a few weeks early, and so, in turn, did harvest. The 2015 crop was small, both in tonnage and berry size. This creates a special opportunity for a dark and powerful Pinot Noir and bright, fresh Chardonnay due to more intense flavors concentrated in the juice and an increase in skin contact. The benefits of this combination are exciting! While the wines are showing beautifully now, they will be even richer and more elegant as they mellow in the months and years to come. These wines really convey all the attributes so special and unique to this place; power and density balanced with brightness all framed with a strong sense of the nearby ocean.

2016:

2016 welcomed the end of the 3-year drought with some ground soaking precipitation. The wet winter was followed by intermittent rains during a mild spring. There was some extreme heat in the region during late September, but our fruit was picked by then and our vineyard was not affected. The vines welcomed the drought-relief by producing a good quality bloom and fruit set, followed by a long growing season and a healthy harvest. The 2016 berries were plump and juicy. Still, the yields in 2016 were slightly below average throughout the region. The long, cool growing season produced a complexity in the juice that is compelling. The climate and rugged topography of our site conveys all the attributes so special and unique to this place; power, elegance and density balanced with minerality and brightness, all framed with a strong sense of the nearby ocean.

Wenzlau (new)