History
Stevan Larner, an Emmy-winning cinematographer, founded the estate late in his life and died in 2005, not long after. His son Michael Larner, who holds a geology degree and a master's in viticulture and enology from UC Davis, runs it now. Michael co-founded the Ballard Canyon AVA when it was established in 2013 and later served as its president, so the vineyard's story and the appellation's are hard to separate.
The Site
A 134-acre ranch at 955 Ballard Canyon Road near Solvang, with thirty-four to thirty-five acres under vine, on the sandy ground that defines the canyon.
Vines and Blocks
Rhone varieties lead: Syrah above all, with Grenache and Mourvedre, planted to suit a canyon that runs warmer than the Sta. Rita Hills to its west but stays well short of the valley's hot eastern end.
The Wines
The estate bottles under its own label. Paul Lato's Lumiere Grenache comes from here across multiple vintages, and McPrice Myers, Herman Story and Terre et Sang have all made Larner designates.