Curtis Winery

We asked Chuck Carlson “why only Rhônes at Curtis Winery?” and he gave us the same answer he must have told time after time “because they are delicious and because they are so perfectly suited to the Santa Ynez Valley.” We love to come over the hill from Santa Barbara for a quick visit and for a few glasses of wine, and drive through Foxen Canyon Trail where the sun drenched days and the fog blanketed nights pamper the grapes.Curtis Winery is one of California’s first wineries dedicated exclusively to Rhône-style wines and are crafting fruit forward wines from Syrah, Grenache, Viognier and Roussanne.

WINES
Vineyard Series Syrah
Rock Hollow Vineyard, Crossroads Vineyard, Ambassador’s Vineyard and Vogelzang Vineyard
Santa Ynez Valley
Viognier, Roussanne, Mourvèdre and The Crossroad (Grenache-Syrah blend)
Heritage Series
Heritage Cuvée, Heritage Blanc and Heritage Rose

Chuck Carlson – Winemaker

Chuck “Calypso” has been making Rhône-style wines locally for more than 20 years. “I want the inherent flavors of the vineyard to really stand out and define the wine,”
Ernst Storm – Assistant Winemaker

Ernst grew up the wine country of South Africa’s Western Cape, where he developed an early appreciation for wine

Firestone Family – Owners

The name Curtis honors the maiden name of Brooks’ mother. Today, Andrew and Ivana Firestone (pictured here) and Adam and Kate Firestone advance their family’s winemaking heritage as the active owners of Curtis Winery.

What to Taste

Here are some of our FAVORITES:

Syrah

’07 from the Vogelzang Vineyard opens with lively berry fruit aromas with floral violet accents. The palate is structured and focused, showing bright flavors of plum, cherry and blackberry. Accents of spice linger on long, juicy finish. This wine is versatile with many meat dishes or BBQ’s

Grenache – comes from Crossroads Vineyard, which occupies a small oak-studded nook across from our winery in the Santa Ynez Valley. The 2007 vintage begins with bright aromas of strawberry jam, vanilla cream and spice. Round, juicy flavors of black cherry and raspberry are embraced by accents of clove and mocha. Fresh acidity carries a long, balanced finish.

Viognier – the ’09 opens with summery aromas of peach, jasmine and lime zest. Crisp flavors of pear and pineapple anticipate notes of citrus and spice. The texture shows a hint of creaminess before finishing with clean, quenching acidity.

Mourvèdre – The 2007 offers nuanced aromas of cherry and plum with hints of earthy tobacco and baking spice. A round, chewy texture unfolds with flavors of black cherry, raspberry, vanilla and cinnamon. Bright acidity and supple tannins combine for soft, balanced finish.

Roussanne – ’09 begins with seductive aromas of honeycomb, white peach and golden apple. The palate strikes an exquisite balance of rounded depth and high-toned natural acidity. Luscious flavors of pineapple and melon finish with brisk accents of vanilla, lime and mineral.
Heritage Rosé – the 2010 was made from saignée juice bled from red wine fermentations, capturing a harmonious spectrum of aroma and flavor profiles. The individual lots were combined and cold-fermented for an extended period to retain a fresh fruit profile and bright aromatics. The wine was aged in stainless steel, with lees contact for six months to build enhanced mouthfeel.