Chris and Kathleen Whitcraft founded their Santa Barbara winery in 1985. Chris quickly became one of the most influential winemakers not just in the Central Coast but in the entire state, making celebrated Pinot Noir... Read More

Chris and Kathleen Whitcraft founded their Santa Barbara winery in 1985. Chris quickly became one of the most influential winemakers not just in the Central Coast but in the entire state, making celebrated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from great sites while also pioneering the practice of bottling block-designate wine beginning in 1991. The 1990s were a golden age for this great American winery, and if you've been lucky enough to taste any library bottles from back then, you've experienced their astounding freshness and beauty.

Chris's son Drake grew up working alongside his dad, even foregoing college to help at the winery. They didn't always agree, especially on business practices like where and how to sell their wine. But when the business saw financial troubles that were only exacerbated by the 2008 recession, and when Chris's health began to wane at the same time, Drake's role became crystal clear: it was time to save the winery.

Founding a side project in 2012 that helped pay off debts, reconstructing the family business and forming his own new bonds with the region's top growers after his father passed in 2014, Drake brought Whitcraft into a new era of stability—and the wines into a second golden age of quality. 
 
Whitcraft wines always resisted the Parkerization era, preferring a low-intervention style that embraces vibrance and purity with a focus on site expression. Drake incorporates biodynamic farming practices and uses the same classic techniques as his dad, favoring gentle hand-harvesting and foot-treading, avoiding additions in the cellar. 

The wines taste soulful and honest, and I was thrilled to reconnect with them. They show grace and minerality, with Santa Barbara's signature savory fruit swirling around impressive structure. These releases are worth snapping up, and you can enjoy them on release or for years to come.