Wine Tasting Notes
Ampelos Cellars.
You wouldn't know it by first glance at Rebecca and Peter Work, but they used to be high-rolling, business globetrotters. Rebecca, who grew up in Alaska and Peter (originally from Denmark) are not afraid of physical work and (literally) getting their hands dirty. They purchased the current property in the eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley in 1999 with vague plans of someday planting a vineyard. Planted first to 15 acres in 2001 and expanded in 2004, the property is managed in accordance with sustainable farming principles and under he advice of Jeff Newton of Coastal Vineyard Care and Rebecca's son from a prior marriage, Don. The majority of the estate (now, in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA) is planted to Pinot Noir and Syrah. There are also smaller blocks of Grenache, Pinot Gris and Viognier planted on the property.
The pivotal moment in Ampelos Cellars development came on September 11th, 2001. After being stranded at major airports in the wake of the terrorist attacks, Peter and Rebecca came home to Los Angeles, came up to the property, re-evaluated the direction of their lives and decided to sell their Los Angeles home and fancy cars and move to their wine country property with the explicit intent of becoming farmers. Learning "on-the-job", they developed their vineyard with sustainable and biodynamic farming practices and experimented with wine making. Rebecca's son, Don, who is the winemaker for Ampelos, has honed his skills at some of the most prominent wineries of the area: Babcock, Rideau, Lucas & Lewellen and his current position as Assistant Winemaker at Sea Smoke Cellars. In meeting the family you come to see they walk the talk of the family talk they proclaim. Even Don’s wife, Lindsay, serves as office manager.
2004 Ampelos Cellars Syrache 90 Points
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