Pietra Santa - Artisanal wines from a special place, made to honor family tradition.
Published on Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:38 pm
Source: Crystal Higgins-Peterson, Calhoun & Company Communications
Pietra Santa. Artisanal wines from a special place, made to honor family tradition.
Pietra Santa is a family-run estate creating artisanal wines and olive oils in the beautiful Cienega Valley just 25 miles from Monterey Bay. The proximity to the Coast provides cooling, maritime breezes that result in vibrant and flavorful wines. The wines also benefit from the estate’s granite and limestone soils, much like soils found in the best vineyards in the world. The winery is named Pietra Santa or “Sacred Stone” in honor of these unique soils.
The estate’s winemaking history dates back to the 1850s when Frenchman Theophile Vache saw the potential and first planted vines in the Valley. It is our goal to create the best possible wines and continue the tradition of quality winemaking in this special place.
Cort, Phyllis and John Blackburn
History
The 455 acre Pietra Santa estate was first developed by Frenchman Theophile Vache in the 1850s. Here among the foothills of the Gabilan Mountains, he discovered the Cienega Valley, a small but unique area just 25 miles east of the Monterey Bay. The Valley is literally bisected by the San Andreas Fault, and over time geological evolution filled the soils with granite and limestone, which is ideally suited for growing top quality winegrapes. Vache recognized the benefits of the soil and maritime climate and began cultivating vines in the Valley. By the turn of the century, wines from the vineyard’s grapes received international acclaim.
After a series of ownership changes, the vineyards were neglected and ultimately overrun by the wild boars that inhabit nearby. In 1989, Joseph Gimelli purchased the estate with the goal of restoring the vines to their former splendor. He saved several blocks including one Zinfandel lot dating back to 1906 and replanted the rest to Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. Thirty acres of terraced, hillside vineyards were also added.
In 1991, Italian winemaker Alessio Carli was brought in to oversee viticulture and winemaking and to establish an olive oil program at the estate. Alessio has degrees in enology and agronomy and experience in winemaking at Fattoria Il Castagno and the renowned Badia a Coltibuono in Tuscany.
The estate’s renaissance was completed in 1998 with the addition of a spectacular Spanish Mission style winery complete with a striking bell-tower. Alessio helped design the state-of-the-art winemaking facility with the goal of producing wines of the highest quality level possible. The winery features an olive oil pressing room furnished with a state of the art Pieralisi Press. Olive groves were also planted on the estate.
In 2005, Pietra Santa was purchased by the Blackburn Family – John, Phyllis and son Cort - who have been farming in the surrounding area for almost 50 years. They fell in love with the estate because of its beautiful location, superb vineyards, and state-of-the-art winery.
“The opportunity to purchase Pietra Santa was just too special to resist, and we look forward to the possibilities it offers to continue our families stewardship of the land,” said Phyllis Blackburn. “It’s a wonderful thought to entrust this legacy to the guard of our children and grandchildren.”
Phyllis and John Blackburn
The Blackburn Family has been farming in Central California for decades and has always felt a strong commitment to the land.
Phyllis Harris was born and raised in the Napa Valley, where grapes and winemaking were part of the fabric of the community. She grew up in the heart of California’s emerging wine country and was no doubt influenced by the vineyards and wineries springing up around the valley. She attended the University of California at Berkeley and relocated to Fresno, California after graduation where she met and married John Blackburn.
John began his career managing orchards in the San Joaquin Valley. He and Phyllis purchased their first almond orchard shortly after they were married and have been farming ever since. They have seven children and 19 grand children, and they have always encouraged family participation in farming.
Although almonds were the mainstay of the family business, the Blackburns first became involved in grape growing several years ago with the purchase of the Dunn Creek Ranch Vineyard located near Hollister. With the assistance of their son Cort, they successfully grew both Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer on the vineyard and gained valuable experience about premium quality winegrapes. As a result, they jumped at the chance to purchase Pietra Santa to combine the rich winemaking history of the estate with their family passion for growing quality products.
It is the vision of the Blackburn family to build upon the dream of the previous owners, to develop Pietra Santa into a world class winery showcasing the full potential of the Cienega Valley.
Cortlandt Blackburn (Brick)
Cort (Brick) Blackburn is managing partner of the Blackburn family farming enterprises and handles most of the day-to-day operations. He worked his way up through the family business and has held his current position for five years.
As he says, “I fell in love with farming as a young boy, and I have never wanted to do anything else.”
Cort also manages family almond farms consisting of approximately 2,000 acres, and 500 acres of wine grape vineyards at the family’s Dunn Creek Ranch near Hollister.
Cort attended Fresno State University where he studied Agriculture Science. He is married with four children and currently resides in Hollister. In addition to his passion for farming, Cort is an avid outdoorsman and active in a variety of sports.
Alessio Carli
Alessio brings a rare blend of traditional Italian expertise and modern California sensibility to wine and olive oil making at Pietra Santa.
A native of Siena, Italy, Carli first became interested in wine by watching his father make Chianti at home. He decided to work in agriculture and attended the Instituto Agrario in Siena where he earned his Agronomy degree in 1982. After a short internship at a local wine cooperative, he spent two years as winemaker for Fattoria Il Castagno where he supervised production of both wine and olive oil.
Now firmly committed to a winemaking career, he returned to college to complete his education, receiving a graduate degree in enology in 1987. He went on to become Assistant Winemaker at Badia a Coltibuono, one of Tuscany’s most famous Chianti estates.
In 1990, Alessio came to the United States to oversee winemaking at Viansa Winery in Sonoma County. He launched their Sangiovese program and helped develop the winery’s Italian wine portfolio. From 1991 to 1998, Carli consulted with several wineries in Napa and Sonoma including Pietra Santa. Alessio also began the Olive Press in Glen Ellen, Sonoma and managed olive oil production there for a few years.
In 1998, Alessio chose to work exclusively for Pietra Santa where he was instrumental in the planning and construction of a new winery and olive oil facility. In addition to supervising the estate’s winemaking since the inaugural vintage in 1991, Carli has helped define the winemaking philosophy for Pietra Santa.
As he describes, “My goal for Pietra Santa is simple; bring out the best in the grapes. To achieve that goal, I keep each vineyard lot separate, age the young wines in seasoned barrels to limit oak characters and create the final blends just prior to bottling. I respect the complexity of the fruit and avoid burying it under too much technique, so the wines showcase the unique character of the Pietra Santa vineyard.”
In addition to winemaking, Carli continues his native Tuscan tradition of making the olive oil at Pietra Santa. He oversaw the construction of the dedicated olive oil pressing room and the installation of the Pieralisi Press. Here he produces Olivita, organic extra Virgin olive oil, made from five varieties of estate grown olives.
Vineyards and Winery
Pietra Santa is located in the beautiful Cienega Valley, approximately 25 miles inland from the Monterey Bay. Warm, sunny days here are moderated by cool ocean breezes creating an ideal climate for grape growing. The Valley is crisscrossed by the San Andreas Fault whose subterranean movements over the years filled the soils with limestone and granite deposits. These rocky soils stress the vines and add interesting and unique flavors to the wines. The estate was first developed in the 1850s when Frenchman Theophile Vache recognized the site’s potential and planted grapevines in the Valley.
The vineyards changed hands over the years but were revitalized in the 1980s with the replanting of many of the vineyard blocks and the addition of 30 acres of terraced, hillside vineyards. With elevations ranging from 1200 to 1800 feet and diverse microclimates within the valley, a number of varieties thrive from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese, to Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay. Only 130 of the estate’s 455 acres are currently planted to grapevines, as some of the land is too steep for cultivation.
The Santa Pietra Winery was built in 1998 in the Spanish Mission style and features oversized wood doors, a dramatic belltower, and an authentic bell custom forged for the winery. The magnificent building is surrounded by rolling hills and picturesque vineyards that offer a spectacular view, especially from the second-floor tasting room.
In spite of the traditional exterior, the winery contains state-of-the-art technology and was designed by our winemaker, Alessio Carli, to facilitate production of exceptional quality wines.
Pietra Santa is also home to 25 acres of olive groves planted with 5000 trees imported directly from Pistoia, Italy. Five varieties grow here including Leccino, Coratina, Frantoio, Itrana, and Pendolino. Olive oil is made using an Italian ?Pieralisi’ press housed in a special pressing room at the winery. Olivita, our premiere olive oil, has a savory spiciness and rich texture and is made exclusively from the estate’s olive trees.
Olive Varieties: Leccino, Frantoio, Itrana, Pendolino and Coratina
Winery: 12,000 square feet, completed in 2000
Cooperage: 2,200 French and American oak barrels
Tasting Room: Open for complimentary tasting Monday through Friday 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and weekends 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Tours: Available by appointment at 831-636-1991
Winemaking
Alessio Carli has directed the viticulture, winemaking and the olive oil program for Pietra Santa since 1991. Alessio was born in Siena, Italy where he became interested in wine as a boy watching his father make Chianti at home. He later earned a degree in agronomy and a graduate degree in enology and began his career as the winemaker for Fattoria Il Castagno where he also oversaw the olive oil program. He went on to become Assistant Winemaker at Badia a Coltibuono before heading to California to work for Viansa Winery in Sonoma.
Since joining Pietra Santa, Alessio has overseen all aspects of production from tending the vines, to harvesting and fermentation, to aging and final bottling. The winery’s limited production allows him to become intimately involved with each lot of wine to ensure the highest level of quality possible.
Our winemaking philosophy at Pietra Santa reflects a desire for all wines to express their origins and the unique climate and soils of the estate in the Cienega Valley.
As Alessio says, “My goal for Pietra Santa is simple; bring out the best in the grapes. To achieve that goal, I keep each vineyard lot separate, age the young wines in seasoned barrels to limit oak characters and create the final blends just prior to bottling. I respect the complexity of the fruit and avoid burying it under too much technique, so the wines showcase the unique character of the Pietra Santa vineyard.”
