Overview

The Bench Break Pinot Noir is sourced from four of our Pinot Noir blocks to create a blend that’s representative of our estate’s most structured fruit expression—a more powerful counterpoint to the feminine qualities of the Julia’s bottling. Each year our winemaker chooses the blocks that will produce Bench Break based on the goal of creating this dynamo; typically, the blocks from the highest point on the estate provide a dark-fruited, lushly textured aspect to the blend while the old vines situated above the river offer spice and a mineral vein.

Vintage Notes

2009

A dry winter led into a cool Spring with bud break in late February. The summer was mild until a two-day heat spike in August accelerated the maturity of all the Pinot Noir and the Pinot Gris. Another couple of days of warm weather pushed a good portion of the Chardonnay to optimum maturity. A rain storm followed by unusual humidity during the second week of October became the deciding factor for picking the balance of the Chardonnay and the Syrah.

2008

The catchword for the 2008 vintage is elegance; there’s an uncommon natural balance in the wines. The spring continued where 2007’s drought left off, with late season frosts and rain, but the weather stabilized and most vineyards saw a superb (albeit not large) fruit set. Once again, summer and fall was mild with few heat spikes, a situation that brought full ripeness and an overall finesse to the wines.

2007

A near-perfect harvest by all accounts combined with low yields, which produced wines that have both power and superb natural balance. A cold winter delayed budbreak, and the absence of rain during the spring in turn resulted in very low yields. Mild weather continued through autumn with few significant heat spells, which provided for a long hang time and ideal physiological ripeness.

2006

A warm winter and early budbreak was followed by spring rains, which slowed the initial progress and ensued in a short fruit set. A moderate summer punctuated by several heat spikes, opened to a dry, warm fall. Harvest was relatively late as winemaking waited for full maturity; the ensuing wines were high in acid with vivid fruit qualities.

Sustainable Farming

Sustainable farming for the Bench Break Pinot Noir includes the following practices:

• Water: deficit and drip irrigation targets water delivery to vines; greywater systems in the winery promote water reuse throughout the estate;
• Plants: rotation of cover crops promotes biological activity and soil health.
• Critters: raptor and owl boxes naturally control the rodent environment and provide biodiversity to the ecosystem; predatory insects control undesirable insects and larvae.

Since 2009, all the grapes from our Estate Vineyard have been certified as sustainable under the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance’s Certified California Sustainable Winegrower (CCSW) program.

Our sustainability practices were verified by an external auditor based on CCSW’s 227 best practices criteria, 58 prerequisites and demonstrating continuous improvement. The third-party certification program was introduced in early 2010 and is built upon the Sustainable Winegrowing Program, a self-assessment system established in 2002, which engages thousands of vintners and growers representing more than 60% of the state’s wine production and acreage. Applicants need to demonstrate practices to conserve water and energy, maintain healthy soil, reduce pesticide use, preserve wildlife habitat, protect air and water quality, recycle natural resources, enhance relations with employees and neighbors.

Overview

Named after owner Barbara Banke’s eldest daughter, Katherine’s is a blend of different blocks comprised of both old clone Chardonnay and cutting edge plant material. Each of the 34 blocks of Chardonnay, planted in sand and granite soils, are farmed on an individual basis and the expression from each block is wholly unique. The resultant wine is the sum of this diversity, a Chardonnay with a spectrum of fruit flavors ranging from mango to meyer lemon and a rich texture framed by refreshing natural acidity.

“This Santa Barbara winery holds a well-deserved reputation for its rich,
tropical fruit-dominated Chardonnays and tasty, supple Pinot Noirs.”
—Robert M. Parker. Jr., The Wine Advocate, December 1998

Vintage Notes

2009

A dry winter led into a cool Spring with bud break in late February. The summer was mild until a two-day heat spike in August accelerated the maturity of all the Pinot Noir and the Pinot Gris. Another couple of days of warm weather pushed a good portion of the Chardonnay to optimum maturity. A rain storm followed by unusual humidity during the second week of October became the deciding factor for picking the balance of the Chardonnay and the Syrah.

2008

The catchword for the 2008 vintage is elegance; there’s an uncommon natural balance in the wines. The spring continued where 2007’s drought left off, with late season frosts and rain, but the weather stabilized and most vineyards saw a superb (albeit not large) fruit set. Once again, summer and fall was mild with few heat spikes, a situation that brought full ripeness and an overall finesse to the wines.

2007

A near-perfect harvest by all accounts combined with low yields, which produced wines that have both power and superb natural balance. A cold winter delayed budbreak, and the absence of rain during the spring in turn resulted in very low yields. Mild weather continued through autumn with few significant heat spells, which provided for a long hang time and ideal physiological ripeness.

2006

A warm winter and early budbreak was followed by spring rains, which slowed the initial progress and ensued in a short fruit set. A moderate summer punctuated by several heat spikes, opened to a dry, warm fall. Harvest was relatively late as winemaking waited for full maturity; the ensuing wines were high in acid with vivid fruit qualities.

Sustainable Farming

Sustainable farming for the Katherine’s Chardonnay includes the following practices:

• Water: deficit and drip irrigation targets water delivery to vines; greywater systems in the winery promote water reuse throughout the estate;
• Plants: rotation of cover crops promotes biological activity and soil health.
• Critters: raptor and owl boxes naturally control the rodent environment and provide biodiversity to the ecosystem; predatory insects control undesirable insects and larvae.

Since 2009, all the grapes from our Estate Vineyard have been certified as sustainable under the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance’s Certified California Sustainable Winegrower (CCSW) program.

Our sustainability practices were verified by an external auditor based on CCSW’s 227 best practices criteria, 58 prerequisites and demonstrating continuous improvement. The third-party certification program was introduced in early 2010 and is built upon the Sustainable Winegrowing Program, a self-assessment system established in 2002, which engages thousands of vintners and growers representing more than 60% of the state’s wine production and acreage. Applicants need to demonstrate practices to conserve water and energy, maintain healthy soil, reduce pesticide use, preserve wildlife habitat, protect air and water quality, recycle natural resources, enhance relations with employees and neighbors.

Overview

Within every vineyard there are remarkable spots where the confluence of soil, plant material and exposition produces a wine that’s totally distinct from its neighboring blocks. Planted in 1971, the Bench Break Chardonnay has always stood out from the other wines, a fact that prompted us to make it as a solo bottling for the first time in 1999. Of that first release, noted wine critic Robert Parker exclaimed, “It is a classic, retrained, yet intensely flavorful Chardonnay that relies on citrus and liquid minerality for much of its character.” Today, we continue to farm this prized block to reflect its unique terroir.

Vintage Notes

2009

A dry winter led into a cool Spring with bud break in late February. The summer was mild until a two-day heat spike in August accelerated the maturity of all the Pinot Noir and the Pinot Gris. Another couple of days of warm weather pushed a good portion of the Chardonnay to optimum maturity. A rain storm followed by unusual humidity during the second week of October became the deciding factor for picking the balance of the Chardonnay and the Syrah.

2008

The catchword for the 2008 vintage is elegance; there’s an uncommon natural balance in the wines. The spring continued where 2007’s drought left off, with late season frosts and rain, but the weather stabilized and most vineyards saw a superb (albeit not large) fruit set. Once again, summer and fall was mild with few heat spikes, a situation that brought full ripeness and an overall finesse to the wines.

2007

A near-perfect harvest by all accounts combined with low yields, which produced wines that have both power and superb natural balance. A cold winter delayed budbreak, and the absence of rain during the spring in turn resulted in very low yields. Mild weather continued through autumn with few significant heat spells, which provided for a long hang time and ideal physiological ripeness.

2006

A warm winter and early budbreak was followed by spring rains, which slowed the initial progress and ensued in a short fruit set. A moderate summer punctuated by several heat spikes, opened to a dry, warm fall. Harvest was relatively late as winemaking waited for full maturity; the ensuing wines were high in acid with vivid fruit qualities.

Sustainable Farming

Sustainable farming for the Bench Break Chardonnay includes the following practices:

• Water: deficit and drip irrigation targets water delivery to vines; greywater systems in the winery promote water reuse throughout the estate;
• Plants: rotation of cover crops promotes biological activity and soil health.
• Critters: raptor and owl boxes naturally control the rodent environment and provide biodiversity to the ecosystem; predatory insects control undesirable insects and larvae.

Since 2009, all the grapes from our Estate Vineyard have been certified as sustainable under the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance’s Certified California Sustainable Winegrower (CCSW) program.

Our sustainability practices were verified by an external auditor based on CCSW’s 227 best practices criteria, 58 prerequisites and demonstrating continuous improvement. The third-party certification program was introduced in early 2010 and is built upon the Sustainable Winegrowing Program, a self-assessment system established in 2002, which engages thousands of vintners and growers representing more than 60% of the state’s wine production and acreage. Applicants need to demonstrate practices to conserve water and energy, maintain healthy soil, reduce pesticide use, preserve wildlife habitat, protect air and water quality, recycle natural resources, enhance relations with employees and neighbors.

Overview

It’s been said that great Pinot Noir can only reach its most eloquent expression with a good amount of vine age. We couldn’t agree more: our Julia’s bottling is anchored by one of the oldest commercial plantings of Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara county (1974), producing a wine that's both floral and earthy on the nose and silky on the palate. Named after proprietor Barbara Banke’s daughter Julia, this Pinot Noir is born from an amalgam of different clones and vine ages, with older plantings and clones providing minerality and gravitas and the newer material conferring dark fruit aromatics and a lush texture.