Santa Ynez Producer Kita Continues to Excel

The Camp 4 Vineyard in California's Santa Ynez Valley. Credit: Kita Wines.

I’ve been a big fan of Tara Gomez’s Kita wines for a few years now, and the new releases are true to form.

These wines are mostly sourced from the Camp 4 Vineyard, a former Fess Parker vineyard located on the eastern edge of the Santa Ynez Valley. (For a full backgrounder, check out this post from last year.) While the wines boast plenty of fruit and ripeness, there’s a vibrant, fresh, complex aesthetic in all of the wines that I find really attractive, not to mention the price points.

I recently tasted through a range of Kita’s wines (their 2017 whites, and some reds from 2015 and 2016) and was impressed yet again. These wines were received as samples and tasted sighted.

2017 KITÁ Sauvignon Blanc Camp 4 Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
SRP: $24
Pale yellow color. Lovely aromas of lemon, apricot, white peach, with steely, floral tones, baby’s breath and lemon verbena. Medium-bodied, pleasantly plump, creamy but bright. Kiwi, lemon, pineapple, the fruit is mixed with honey, almond, floral perfume, subtle notes of lemon verbena and jalapeno. Fresh but generous and highly delicious. (90 points)

2017 KITÁ T'aya Camp 4 Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
SRP: $22
Lemon color. Nose showed salted almond, brisk salty tones, chalk dust, on top of sour apples, lemon curd and pineapple. Crisp acidity frames the palate, and the wine has a pleasant chalky texture with flavors of white peach, lemons, green apples. Complex notes of honeysuckle, honeycomb, candle wax, a salty, honeyed tea element too. Lively but generous. 50% Marsanne, 44% Roussanne and 6% Grenache Blanc, aged 7 months in 20% new French oak. (91 points)

2017 KITÁ Chardonnay Hilliard Bruce Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
SRP: $30
Pale lemon color. Nose shows limes, apricots, along with dusty seashells, raw almond, hay and chalky/floral notes. So crisp and steely, salty, too, Chablis-esque appeal with bracing acidity and stony minerals. Lemon, limes, green apples, mixed with hay, almond, white flowers, and complex elements of crushed chalk. Lovely, vibrant style, complex and it should do some really cool things in the next few years. Aged 7 months in French oak, 15% new. (92 points)

2017 KITÁ Grenache Rosé Camp 4 Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
SRP: $18
Medium salmon color. Aromas of strawberries, raspberries, nettle, basil, white pepper. Crisp and dry on the palate, this is a fresh and tangy rose with white cherries, red apple and watermelon fruit. Spicy, floral, herbal notes (rhubarb, white pepper, spiced apples). Delicious, vibrant, spicy, crisp rose. (89 points)

2015 KITÁ Pinot Noir Hilliard Bruce Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
SRP: $55
Light ruby color. Aromas of tangy strawberries, sour cherries, red apple, with notes of spicy herbs, white pepper and rhubarb. Medium-bodied with tangy, crisp acidity and dusty tannins. A vibrant, lip-smacking approach, with crunchy red apples, strawberries, raspberries. Dusty, herbal, peppery notes add complexity, with some mushroom as well. Tart throughout, no jammy fruit here, this is elegant and so bright. Love it. Aged 18 months in 20% new French oak. (93 points)

2015 KITÁ Spe'y Camp 4 Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
SRP: $30
Light ruby color. Aromas of spicy herbal tea, clove, white pepper, rose petals, all whipped up together with raspberries and red apple peel. Medium-bodied frame, silky yet structured, so crisp with tart raspberries, red cherries, hints of blackberry. Complex flavors of clove, leather, roses, grilled herbs, with some underlying iron and mineral tones. Vibrant, exciting Grenache-based blend, with 25% Carignan and 23% Syrah, aged 18 months in 25% new French oak. (92 points)

2016 KITÁ Syrah Camp 4 Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
SRP: $30
Vibrant purple color. Aromas of black cherries, saucy plums, lots of smoke, barbecue spice rub, pepper and leather. Crisp acidity on the palate (like all wines from this vineyard it seems), but dusty tannins. Tart black cherries, spicy red currants, loaded with smoky charcoal, leather, roasted red pepper, cracked black pepper. Such a pretty, complex wine, gorgeous now but should age well over the next five years. Aged 18 months in French oak, 30% new. (92 points)

2015 KITÁ Cabernet Sauvignon Camp 4 Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
SRP: $40
Rich purple color. Gorgeous waves of tart cherries, black and red currants, summer plums, mixed with eucalyptus, wild rosemary, tobacco and cedar/coffee notes. Medium-bodied (13.5%) with vibrant acidity and velvety but structured tannins. Crunchy black currants, tangy red cherries, gushing plums, the fruit is matched with notes of smoky tobacco, eucalyptus, roasted bell pepper and espresso. Complex but vibrant, showing well now but can cellar for at least a half-dozen years. Aged in 40% new French oak. (91 points)

This post first appeared on the daily wine blog Terroirist.