The Ibarra-Young vineyard is a 14-acre vineyard located just south of Los Olivos in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley.  It is a category UC Davis Region II with cool overcast mornings turning warm during the day and cool at night, often with a 30 -40 degree day/night temperature difference.

The vineyard was originally planted in 1971 by Charlotte Young and her vineyard manager Miguel Ibarra to 10 acres of cabernet sauvignon and was contracted to Firestone Vineyard. By 1979 that contract had expired and there was more demand for white grapes so Charlotte grafted over most of the vineyard to sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc.

Around this same time Charlotte got involved in a winery cooperative with a group of other small growers called Los Viñeros and a winemaking facility was built on the west side of Santa Maria.  From 1980-1984 almost all of Charlotte’s grapes went into the blends at Los Viñeros.  By 1985 Los Viñeros was starting to falter and Charlotte was having trouble selling her grapes.

Charlotte was thinking about tearing her vines out . . . Bob Lindquist heard about this and offered to lease the vineyard and graft it over to Rhone varieties.  Bob even made a Chenin Blanc in 1985 from Charlotte’s grapes to show his good faith and help Charlotte with the transition.  Between 1986 and 1989 the 10 acres were grafted over to 4 acres of Marsanne, 3 acres of Syrah, 1.75 acres of Mourvedre and 1.25 acres of Viognier . . . all on those original cabernet roots!

Between 1996 and 2000, 4 more acres were planted to Albariño and Tempranillo for Louisa Sawyer Lindquist’s Spanish grape varietal project Verdad.  In 2009 another Spanish variety, Graziano, was added to the vineyard.

Since 1999 the vineyard has been farmed organically and is still farmed by Miguel Ibarra.  Miguel is now in his mid 70’s and every year threatens to retire and move back to Mexico, but thankfully he keeps coming back.  He knows each one of these vines and just has an incredible farming touch.

Sadly, Charlotte Young passed away in 2008, just shy of her 92nd birthday (there is a dedication to her on the back of Qupé’s Los Olivos Cuvée label), but her children and grandchildren carry on.  Her legacy lives in the vines and the wonderful wines that come from this special spot.