Pain-Perdu

Pain Perdu translates to “lost bread”, a dessert made by taking stale bread and whipping it up into a delicious, even beautiful dish. The name aims to explain Fabien Castel and co.’s relationship to the region and their ambition to explore its untapped potential of terroir, original micro-climates, and its people.

The project was born out of serendipity and friendship: The meeting of an unconventional winemaker, who trained with an old master from the Central Coast, and a family of passionate wine professionals who developed a unique culture of sharing stories that enrich the wine experience.

It came together in the winter of 2023 when three land stewards agreed to work with Castel—each farmer tending to vineyards with interesting micro-climatic and geologic influences and resulting fruit characteristics that Castel could envision as single-plot bottlings or a critical component of a blend.

The 2023 vintage

“It was exceptional. It wasn’t just the amount of rain that was rare for California, but the way it battered the coast on and off from the winter through the early spring. Water penetrated the soil deeply and supplied vines with reserves for the growing season. The weather remained cool with only a few heat spikes that receded near harvest. Bunches hung on to the vine for a long time under the conditions, slowly crescendoing ripening with a firm grip on acidity. In the end, we made deep and resonant wines with both power and elegance.” — Fabien Castel

Rancho San Julian Vineyard

Rancho San Julian was an original Mexican Land Grant in present-day western Santa Barbara County. Jim Poett and his daughter Elizabeth, descendants of the original grantee, work the cattle ranch and its 14,000 acres of grazing land.

On a south-southeast—oriented hillside enshrouded by oak forest, the Poetts planted ten acres of Chardonnay and Pinot noir with cuttings from the famed Hyde de Villaine vineyard in Carneros.

“RSJ” is both higher in elevation and closer to the frigid waters off Point Conception than even the farthest west sites of the Santa Rita Hills. Hard frosts occur frequently through the winter while the nights are generally five degrees cooler than Santa Rita Hills in the summer.

A complex geological syncline given the site’s mountain-to-sea position defines its terroir. The soil is alluvial, consisting of stony and rocky mixtures of diatom and silt.

“Although very young, it was clear that due to the exceptional nature of the 2023 vintage, the plants were ready to produce and it was worth exploring”, Castel notes.” The result is a very briny and textural Chardonnay and a powerfully complex and fragrant Pinot noir. The latter contributed a rich, coarse structure with a deep mineral steak.”

Bentrock Vineyard

“Clay, sediment, and shale make up the majority of Bentrock vineyard along with outcrops of diatomaceous earth (fossilized ocean skeletons aka plankton) that is prized for its high silica content and porosity.” — Matt Dees, Winemaker of The Hilt and Jonata (owner of Bentrock Vineyard)

“At the western edge of Santa Rita Hills, Bentrock directly faces the Pacific to the northwest of Santa Maria’s coast. Its super-cool climate and rocky slopes result in a concentrated, dark, and elegant expression of Pinot Noir that in our eyes, is among the most exciting expressions the coast can offer. With the long hang time the vintage provided, the resulting wine is persistent and silky. It’s a wine that will be for the long haul despite an approachable juicy core of fruit. A small addition of stems and a small portion of Rancho San Julian Pinot Noir was added to the final blend to elevate its structure and spiciness.” — Fabien Castel

Drum Canyon

Drum Canyon Vineyard is situated on the northeastern end of Santa Rita Hills. The section of Drum Canyon Vineyard selected for Pain-Perdu is planted mostly in deep, free-draining soils ranging from Elder Shaly loam, Botella clay loam and Corralitos sand. Another section contains shallow Tierra clay loam which is loaded with chert and sandstone. From this combination terroir, the loam brings structure and tannin while the sand adds lift and floral aromatics. Altogether, the wine shows off a highly seductive and dark-fruit side of Pinot Noir. It’s elegantly supple and marked by red currant and wild rose aromatics, and beyond its finesse is a deceptive persistence and power (due to the vintage).