Our Vision
GAMBAL-WORK is the creation of four men who believe that great wine is made by following a seamless line from the vineyard to the bottle. This is easy in theory but requires discipline and vigor to see and hear a myriad of small details throughout the entire process. It is a journey that begins with the soil and vines, consummating nearly two years later with bottling.
Chardonnay
Our 2017 Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay has an exuberant nature, reflecting the vintage, but also salinity and a mineral foundation that balances its natural exuberance.
Bentrock, 2016, is naturally a more powerful and rich wine yet is not heavy. Adjectives are dangerous things but if we see Francesca as linear and elegant we can say that Bentrock is explosive, fuller in the mouth but finishes in the same place. Bentrock has a stone fruit personality dominated by ripe peaches and apricots yet also has a wonderful backbone that supports and carries these flavors in the mouth.
Francesca, 2016, has what we call a “cool” profile that is dominated by a flinty nose that is followed by white flowers (acacia?). Its attack is subtle but builds, fills the mouth and is linear in nature. The wine’s natural salinity awakens your taste buds and one can imagine this as a wonderful apéro with hard cheeses or as a main dish with seared scallops.
The Winemakers
Alex Gambal and Peter Work arrived at this, their second professions, via circuitous routes. Alex, an American, discovered Burgundy in 1993 and since has developed an estate of thirty acres from Chassagne-Montrachet to Gevrey-Chambertin. Peter, a Dane, found Santa Barbara in 2001 and since has carefully cultivated an estate of nineteen acres in the Sta. Rita Hills.
Both Alex and Peter are passionate about Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the two historic varieties of Burgundy and the Santa Rita Hills. They also share a dedication to bio-dynamical cultivation.
