Wine Tasting Notes
Cambria Winery
The twenty year-old Cambria estate grows Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Viognier. In 1986, Barbara Banke and her husband Jess Jackson (Founder of Kendall-Jackson Wines), purchased a portion of the original Tepusquet Vineyard (planted by Louis Lucas, his brother George and their partner Alfred Gagnon in 1970 and 1971). On that land, they created a 1,405-acre estate complete with a winery and cellar. The current Cambria estate is subject to marine influences (the Pacific is just 17 miles to the west) and has southern sun exposure. The vineyard's location on a slope also protects it form the strong winds blowing through the Santa Maria Valley. The vineyard soil is composed of well-draining sand (the area is an ancient river bed) which is believed to encourage growth of fruit with dense and concentrated flavors. The cooling effect of the Pacific air helps preserve optimal acid levels and varietal characteristics.
The goal of the Vineyard Manager-Winemaker team is to bring out the individual characteristics of the various portions of this cool-climate estate. The core of Cambria's production (a reported 90% of total production) is made up of Katherine's Chardonnay, Julia's Pinot Noir (from vineyards named after Barbara and Jess' daughters) and Tepusquet Syrah. What is now known as Cambria's Tepusquet Vineyard is situated in the eastern, and warmest, end of the Cambria estate. It is a respected source of Syrah and Viognier. In addition, the Bench Break Vineyard is planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Grown in the toughest soils and exposed to the coolest temperatures in the estate, wines from this vineyard display a more distinctly mineral character that those produced from other portions of the estate.
All the wine making efforts are under the auspices of Denise Shurtleff. She is a graduate of California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and Food Administration. Joining Cambria in 1999, Denise arrived with 16 years experience as Winemaker and Winery Manager at Corbett Canyon Vineyards. Her focus is on bringing out varietal characteristics and complexity in each wine reflective of the estate's terroir.
In addition to Chardonnay, Pinot gris, Viognier, Pinot noir, and Syrah wines available at the tasting room and in retail stores, the winery has an inmpressive single clone program. Available mostly through the tasting room, to club members and through the winery's web site, the Chardonnays, Pinot noirs and Syrahs offer an interesting exploration of clonal characteristics. Of all these, the Pinot noir program is the broadest with 3 or more single clone bottlings per vintage, often offered as a boxed set.
2005 Cambria Late Harvest Viognier, Tepusquet Vineyard, SMV 89 Points
2004 Cambria Late Harvest Viognier, Tepusquet Vineyard, SMV 89 Points
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