Greetings from the vineyard!
The 2024 harvest has come to a close, and we are thrilled with the quality of our grapes. Though yields were smaller than expected due to the vintage’s challenges, the exceptional quality of this year’s fruit is undeniable. While many in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA faced significant issues with shatter, mildew, and poor cluster development, we feel fortunate that our vineyards have fared well. Although there will be less wine, what we bottle will be remarkable – just like the 2023 vintage!
Improvements at the Ranch and Winery
In the meantime, we continue to further develop the ranch and vineyard. In August, our crew commenced construction on significant site improvements in the vicinity of our tasting room area, including attractively landscaped parking, better handicapped accessibility, and a new freestanding restroom building. Our goal is to constantly refine the guest experience at Pence, and these changes will reinforce this effort at the initial point of contact where our valued customers are first welcomed to the homestead. We are also pleased to announce that we have finally submitted our plans for the conversion of the equestrian center to the county, initiating a process that will result in a beautiful state of the art winery and luxurious hospitality center. It will be one of the final projects designed by legendary winery architect, Howard Backen, who sadly passed away this year. Howard was enamored with the ranch’s unique ethos, and his design pays tribute to its history while allowing it to move forward to the next phase.
Focusing on the Best in the Vineyard
And then there is the vineyard itself, which constantly evolves. Sashi Moorman’s involvement has been enthusiastically received by our vineyard manager, Fransisco Ramirez, and the three of us are working diligently to extract the very best from each plant. Towards this end, we have carefully analyzed each block – row by row and vine by vine. Some blocks have been regrafted to a different clone, while others have been replanted completely. The sole consideration is quality, and the results are already palpable. Integral to this effort is focusing our efforts on growing and producing only the finest wines. This requires difficult decisions, such as discontinuing certain wines that are indeed very good, but not truly great. For our vineyard, this means concentrating on the two superstars – pinot noir and chardonnay – and only deviating from them where the results are clearly outstanding, such as our Brut Rose sparkling wine made from gamay. The changes will be gradual, but the path is clear.
Club Member Events
This summer, many of you have attended our vineyard dinner events, savoring Jake’s delicious al fresco cuisine while listening to Edgar and David’s terrific music. This year, we have concentrated on more subtlety flavored dishes that best complement both chardonnay and pinot noir, and have paired them with library selections from our cellar. These evenings have been truly magical and we appreciate the opportunity to interact with our most loyal Club Members.
Fall Club Shipment
Your fall shipment includes some terrific wines from the delicious 2022 vintage. Again, this is your chance to drink early without any guilt! Their approachable nature is rather unusual for our wines and for once we are actually encouraging you to enjoy them while the other vintages age and further improve. Depending upon your membership level, you are receiving a combination of Fugio, Détente, and Estate Pinot Noir, as well as the Massale Chardonnay. Quantities are limited, so please contact us soon for any re-orders.
As always, we thank you for your continuing membership. Our vineyard, winery, and hospitality teams all put forth tremendous effort to deliver a superior product that consistently over delivers in quality and value. That effort is rewarded through their relationships with those few people such as yourself who are able to discern the difference and appreciate what it takes to get there. Your support allows them to pursue their passion.
In vino veritas,
Blair Pence