Whitcraft Winery Elle’s Vineyard Cuvee 2023

Wine Type: Red
Vintage: 2023
Bottle Size: 750ml
Grape Variety: 65% Trousseau, 20% Pinot Noir, 15% Gamay Noir
Appellation: Los Olivos District AVA
Country: United States
Region: Santa Barbara County, California
Producer: Whitcraft Winery
Winemaker: Drake Whitcraft
Vineyard: Elle’s Vineyard
Soil: Sandy soils
Farming: Traditional farming with biodynamic influence; minimal-intervention cellar work
Alcohol: 13%
Fermentation: Whole-cluster/native-leaning approach; made in Whitcraft’s old-school, hands-on style
Aging: Neutral vessels; bottled with minimal sulfur

Tasting Note:
Whitcraft’s 2023 Elle’s Vineyard Cuvée is one of those bottles that feels both deeply California and joyfully alpine in spirit. Built from Trousseau, Pinot Noir, and Gamay Noir, it lands somewhere between Jura rouge, coastal California Pinot, and the kind of chillable red you want on the table with roast chicken, mushrooms, charcuterie, or anything a little salty and snacky. The nose leans bright and lifted, with red cherry, wild strawberry, blood orange peel, dried herbs, and a dusty mineral edge. On the palate, it is juicy, savory, and energetic, with fine tannins, fresh acidity, and a slightly earthy finish that keeps it from feeling simple or overly fruity. Serve it with a light chill and let it open up in the glass.

About the Producer:
Whitcraft Winery is a small, family-run Santa Barbara producer founded in 1985 by Chris and Kathleen Whitcraft. Today, second-generation winemaker Drake Whitcraft carries the winery forward with the same deeply personal, hands-on approach: small lots, old-school cellar work, whole-cluster influence, minimal manipulation, and a focus on wines that feel honest, textured, and alive. Whitcraft has long been associated with soulful Central Coast Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rhône varieties, but wines like Elle’s Vineyard Cuvée show Drake’s more playful side too: aromatic, fresh, low-intervention reds that still have real shape and seriousness. This is California wine with lift, nerve, and a little bit of wildness.