Kinton is located in Santa Barbara County, one of the best places in on
earth for Syrah. Geographically, Santa Barbara is defined by two rows of
mountains – the Santa Ynez in the south and the San Rafaels in the
north. The valley runs east and west, not north and south as is commonly
found elsewhere in California. The mountains act as a funnel that ushers
in fog and breezes from the nearby Pacific. The daily maritime winds help
cool the area and extend the growing season. The region also enjoys well-drained
soils, plentiful sunshine and a wide variety of microclimates.
Historical Fact:Santa Barbara’s first vines were planted by Father Junipero Serra in 1782. The first winery, an adobe built in 1804, today stands as Goleta’s oldest landmark. Wine continued to be made during the pueblo and ranchero days, but after Prohibition production declined until the early 1970s.
At Kinton, we are dedicated to producing Syrah from some of the finest sites in Santa Barbara County. Our wines are dense and concentrated, elegant and sleek. They are also varietally accurate and reflective of their terroir.
Barham Vineyard
The Barham Vineyard is located south of Los Alamos in west Santa Barbara County. It was planted in flinty rock mixed with sandy loam in 1998 to Entav clone 877. Throughout the growing season, maritime influences from the Pacific Ocean cloak the vineyard in mild temperatures. This extends the ripening period allowing the grapes time to gain rich, complex flavors, but still maintain freshness and finesse. The vines are grown on a modified lyre trellis, which splits the canopy in two, maximizing light exposure to the fruit. We use a technique called “sacrificial cane” to trick the vine into producing more clusters with smaller berries, and then reduce the number of clusters at veraison to create more concentrated flavors.
Barham is a sustainably farmed vineyard. Hundreds of acres at the property are left in a natural state to accommodate wildlife and encourage owl and bird nesting. The ranch is also participating in an Oak Tree Regeneration program involving the planting of thousands of saplings.
The Barham Vineyard is located south of Los Alamos in west Santa Barbara County. It was planted in flinty rock mixed with sandy loam in 1998 to Entav clone 877. Throughout the growing season, maritime influences from the Pacific Ocean cloak the vineyard in mild temperatures. This extends the ripening period allowing the grapes time to gain rich, complex flavors, but still maintain freshness and finesse. The vines are grown on a modified lyre trellis, which splits the canopy in two, maximizing light exposure to the fruit. We use a technique called “sacrificial cane” to trick the vine into producing more clusters with smaller berries, and then reduce the number of clusters at veraison to create more concentrated flavors.
Barham is a sustainably farmed vineyard. Hundreds of acres at the property are left in a natural state to accommodate wildlife and encourage owl and bird nesting. The ranch is also participating in an Oak Tree Regeneration program involving the planting of thousands of saplings.
Neely Vineyard
The Neely Vineyard is just east of Los Alamos in Santa Barbara County. The Syrah here is planted in deep sandy loam and is grown on single fruiting wire using the vertical shoot positioning trellis. The site is cool climate, but the individual location of the Syrah is elevated, with a warmer aspect. Neely Vineyard is a uniform site producing very low yields with small bunches, small berries and intense flavors. Canopy spreaders ensure no shoot crowding and a green harvest at veraison encourages uniform ripeness. Neely is a sustainably farmed vineyard. As with Barham, the ranch is participating in an Oak Tree Regeneration program.
The Neely Vineyard is just east of Los Alamos in Santa Barbara County. The Syrah here is planted in deep sandy loam and is grown on single fruiting wire using the vertical shoot positioning trellis. The site is cool climate, but the individual location of the Syrah is elevated, with a warmer aspect. Neely Vineyard is a uniform site producing very low yields with small bunches, small berries and intense flavors. Canopy spreaders ensure no shoot crowding and a green harvest at veraison encourages uniform ripeness. Neely is a sustainably farmed vineyard. As with Barham, the ranch is participating in an Oak Tree Regeneration program.
Tepusquet Vineyard
The Tepusquet Vineyard is situated in the heart of the Santa Maria Valley benchland. It is planted to the Estrella Clone grafted on to Cabernet Sauvignon roots in 1991. (The low vigor Cabernet roots help balance the mature Syrah vines.) The soils were formed from ancient alluvial deposits. Their excellent drainage properties and lack of nutrients help control vine vigor promoting small berries with intense concentration. The vines are grown using the hanging cane trellis, which maximizes the number of leaves available to produce flavor and sugar for the grapes in such a cool climate.
The Tepusquet Vineyard is situated in the heart of the Santa Maria Valley benchland. It is planted to the Estrella Clone grafted on to Cabernet Sauvignon roots in 1991. (The low vigor Cabernet roots help balance the mature Syrah vines.) The soils were formed from ancient alluvial deposits. Their excellent drainage properties and lack of nutrients help control vine vigor promoting small berries with intense concentration. The vines are grown using the hanging cane trellis, which maximizes the number of leaves available to produce flavor and sugar for the grapes in such a cool climate.