Winemaker Notes
Enjoy this beauty with beef Bourgogne or fresh fig and feta arugula salad.
Exhibiting the casual graciousness of Santa Barbara County, Lincourt Vineyards was named after Bill and Carol Foley’s two daughters – Lindsay and Courtney and marked the beginning of the Foley Family of wines. Founded in 1996, Lincourt produces boutique, ultra-premium estate wines from the acclaimed Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Handcrafted, small-lot bottling showcases the character of each vineyard site and bear the names of the women who influenced and shaped Bill’s life including his wife, mother, grandmother and aunt. The quaint 1926 Sears Craftsman Kit home serves as Lincourt’s charming tasting room and hospitality space.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.