Wine Tasting Notes
Casa Cassara Winery
Casa Cassara Winery is a small vineyard and winery producing wines in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. The winery carries a strong Babcock influence.
Since 1981 Bennie Cassara, a brick mason from Orange County California, had been using the current Casa Cassara property (in the southeastern end of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA) as a retreat for his family. Over the years, he built a home and a homestead where he raised horses, cattle, chickens and goats. The first Pinot Noir vines were planted on the tiny hilltop estate in 1990 under the guidance of friend and neighbor Brian Babcock - an key figure in Santa Barbara County viticulture. The sloping hilltop property with sandy soils and the cool climate of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA is ideal for growing Pinot Noir. The first harvest of estate fruit was vinified by John Krska, of the Babcock Winery, in 1995. In 1996, guided by the promising results of 1995, and a larger crop, Babcock Winery produced 35 cases of a vineyard-designated Pinot Noir from Casa Cassara fruit.
After 2 years of Babcock producing a Casa Cassara vineyard-designated Pinot Noir, John Krska became the winemaker for Casa Cassara Winery. He is meticulous in his attention to the vineyard. The meager 1998 harvest yielded only 13 cases of wine which was not sold to the public. The following year, 40 cases of estate wine was produced. In 2000, production reached 400 cases. With continued production a winery facility was built on the estate and has been in use since 2004. Beginning in 2000, Chardonnay (from purchased fruit) was added to the label.
Joining John Krska, now General Manager, is wine maker Brian Freeborn. He started his career in 1997 at Fess Parker Winery in the cellar and as a harvest worker. He then moved on to newly founded Bridlewood Winery in 1998. He has benefited from working with winemakers Kevin Willenborg and Dan Gehrs. From there, he went on to become Cellar Master at Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards where he continued to learn from Dan Gehrs. In 2002, he was appointed assistant winemaker by Kahn Winery. At this time, he began to also make wine for Casa Cassara. Although most familiar with Syrah, he has proven his mettle with Pinot Noir and since the 2004 harvest, Brian has been the Casa Cassara winemaker.
Currently, Casa Cassara produces approximately 2,200 cases annually. Only the Pinot Noir is estate-grown and the remainder of the fruit is purchased from local vineyards (mostly from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA) farmed to John Krska's specifications. In general, Casa Cassara wines are released with more bottle age than most in the area. They are complex and very food-friendly.
Because of the precarious slopes surrounding the estate, the winery is not open to the public. Wines are currently being poured for tasting at the Olive House at 1661 Mission Drive in Solvang, in Solvang and the winery is building a tasting room outside Buellton, on Highway 246 (scheduled to open in March, 2007).
2004 Casa Cassara Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County 92 Points
2005 Casa Cassara Estate Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills 89 Points
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