History
The Kanzlers moved to the property southwest of Sebastopol in 1994 for the rural life; neighbor Perry Kozlowski talked Steve Kanzler into grapes, and after viticulture classes at UC Davis he planted the vineyard in spring 1996 with manager Eric Neal, among the first growers in the Sebastopol Hills. The first harvest came in 2000; in 2002 he sold fruit to the then-unknown Kosta Browne and became an early investor, and the 98-point 2004 Kosta Browne Kanzler made the name. The family label began with experimental lots and a 250 case release in 2004; son Alex Kanzler has run the winemaking since 2011, farming mostly organically and leading the push for a Sebastopol Hills AVA.
The Site
The parcel at 2109 Sanders Road holds about 14 acres on a fog-line bench of Goldridge sandy loam, eight miles from the Pacific in the cool southern hills.
Vines and Blocks
Pinot Noir throughout: the upper western rows hold Dijon 115, the center 667, and the lower eastern troughs, where morning fog pools, the Pommard core.
The Wines
Kanzler Pinot Noir is Sebastopol Hills in miniature, dark cherry and cola depth wrapped around fog-preserved acidity, split between the family's 3,000 case direct label and a producer roster that has included Kosta Browne, Arista, Rivers-Marie, Senses and Landmark.