Kynsi Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard 2013

A complex nose of white nectarine, marzipan, citrus peel and pineapple upside down cake with a full palate, offering nuanced flavors of Asian pear, lemon curd and Calimyrna fig. 

The Bien Nacido Vineyard is located in the Santa Maria Valley on the South Central Coast of California, just east of Santa Maria. The topography of the valley features transverse ranges with an east/west orientation, opening up to the Pacific Ocean. The climate is strongly influenced by the ocean providing ideal temperate growing conditions for Chardonnay. Early spring warming, mild summer temperatures and late arriving cold fall temperatures provide a long growing season for the development of rich color along with concentrated and complex flavors.

Review:

This wine from the historic vineyard is light in color but not shy on the nose at all: lime blossoms, lemon curds, honeysuckle and lemon-lime soda all leap from the glass. The palate combines chopped dill and dewy herbs with green fruits, from pears to kiwi to lime peels, all presented with a lot of briskness. 93 Points Wine Enthusiast

Kynsi Winery is a family run operation focused on producing distinguished wines in limited production.  Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Syrah and unique red blends are carefully sourced from highly regarded cool climate vineyards along with Pinot Noir from their Estate Stone Corral Vineyard in the Edna Valley. 

Owner/Winemakers Don and Gwen Othman have been immersed in the Central Coast wine industry for over 30 years with their specialty wine equipment business Bulldog Manufacturing.  Don is widely recognized for his creation of The Bulldog Pup in 1986, a gas pressure racking wand that transfers wine from barrels without agitation or oxidation.  While originally designed to gently transfer delicate Pinot Noir, “The Pup” has become an indispensable cellar tool for achieving superior clean rackings preserving richness and complexity in high quality barrel aged wines.  They continue to manufacture and distribute the Bulldog Pup worldwide today.   

Over the years, Bulldog Manufacturing provided the opportunity to work alongside some of the most respected winemakers in the industry. Don and Gwen gleaned volumes of diverse winemaking philosophies that helped lay the foundation from which their own distinctive winemaking philosophy emerged.  Life is an evolution and in 1995 Don and Gwen founded Kynsi Winery located in the heart of the Edna Valley on California’s Central Coast. Today they are joined by their daughter Kala who grew up in the business and son-in-law Michael, each sharing the vision and values on which Kynsi has been built.  Together, they all work very closely to maintain the quality and consistency of the Kynsi portfolio.

Their Story:

When the winery was first started in the old dairy, it had been decades since it had ceased operations and the grounds had been cared for.  There was a gopher problem, and not your average garden infestation but a plague of historic proportions.  In search of wisdom, it was discovered that barn owls are gopher’s #1 predator.  Astonishingly,  a nesting pair can process up to 40 gophers a night when feeding their young.

Barn owls are not nest builders, so 2 wooden boxes were installed in the old barn and within a couple of weeks there was a nesting pair.  They had 4 owlets that first spring and wiped out the also breeding gophers.  As the pellet pile grew under their boxes, nature was being put back into balance.  The owls single handedly saved the ranch and the wise female in her preening pose was chosen to represent the brand, a pedestal duly earned.  To honor family heritage, they chose the Finnish word “Kynsi” meaning talon to go with the beloved barn owl.