A Ten Year Journey
Conversations with Tyler Thomas
In 2013, Tyler Thomas made the decision to move from northern California to Santa Barbara to work on the cultivation of the Dierberg family estate. The Dierbergs had planted the now famous Star Lane Vineyard fifteen years earlier, and Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara had only been recognized as an AVA four years earlier. Drum Canyon Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills was not yet understood as the nexus of the family’s estate in the western segment, and Tyler would help to guide it there. We caught up with him to reflect on that ten year anniversary and ask about the importance of being estate.
Which vintages have been memorable to you over the last ten years at both Star Lane Vineyard and Dierberg Drum Canyon Vineyard?
For both, 2013 was quite memorable simply though not exclusively because it was the first. There was so much to learn and so much opportunity to discover great things. At Drum Canyon we had great yields, the likes of which we haven’t seen since, and that provided so much learning opportunity for a winemaker handling a property for the first time. We could really learn about how changing ripening timing, or using stems, or how this clone or that part of the vineyard reacted and tasted to various decisions. I confess that with hindsight it probably won’t go down as our best vintage of the last 10 years, but the groundwork of understanding gained (remember, we have a long term plan) has paid dividends in how we proceeded with certain parts of the vineyard over the years. It was the beginning of discovering all the diversity at Drum Canyon and the potential that terroir holds to make several different expressions of Pinot Noir.
2018 also stands out because it was one of my favorite vintages for its energy, finesse, and balance. I love drinking the 2018. More importantly I think it marks the beginning of a stretch of years where we really began hitting our stride in understanding the property. In 2016 all the farming was brought in house and I think we began to feel the impact of that by 2018. It was also our first official year where we certified our sustainable farming efforts. The string of vintages that follow are so consistent in part due to those efforts and our increased understanding over the previous 5 years.
For Star Lane, of course 2013 stands out for similar reasons as Drum Canyon, and the wines to this day are terrific. However 2014 is a real favorite because we took more risks based on the things we learned in 2013: its okay to pick a little earlier with Star Lane Vineyard, own-rooted vines truly stand out and need more focus, and we began honing in right away on the best blocks within the vineyard. I think 2014 caught people’s attention as well, demonstrating the unique if classic qualities of excellent Cabernet Sauvignon in California.
2021, while only recently bottled, may go down as my favorite to date from Star Lane. I love the wines. It was a vintage where all the best qualities of each previous vintage seem to come together in one. Every vintage has its hiccups and question marks, things that require a little massaging whether it’s a little more new oak (2015), a little more Petit Verdot (2018), or just a little more patience (2019), but with 2021 it just seemed like a homerun from the start and we had a great group of people helping us make it.
Stay tuned as we bring you more reflections from Tyler on ten years and just beginning!